Najam Sethi to not contest for the post of PCB Chairman - Reports
Najam Sethi, currently at the helm of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as the head of an interim management committee, has backed out of the race to become the next chairman on a permanent basis. The interim committee took charge following the dismissal of Ramiz Raja on December 22, 2022.
Sethi played a crucial role in the affairs across the last few months, which includes resolving the Asia Cup hosting issue as well as their ODI World Cup participation. The committee has also revamped the coaching unit as well as the selection department in the recent past.
With the interim committee's tenure set to come to an end on June 21 as previously stipulated, the board is in search of a new leader. Considering the effort that he has put in, it seemed like Sethi will assume the role of chairman on a permanent basis moving forward.
However, he has confirmed that he is not in the running to become the chairman. He conveyed his intentions through a tweet, which read:
"I don't want to be a bone of contention between Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif. Such instability and uncertainty is not good for PCB. Under the circumstances I am not a candidate for Chairmanship of PCB. Good luck to all stakeholders."
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has the final say in PCB affairs. The nomination of the next chairman is a complicated process, considering that usually the candidate is generally chosen from the Prime Minister's political party, which in this case is the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz.
However, Pakistan People's Party are currently making a case where they feel that they are responsible for the sporting activity in the nation and should get the pick for the next Chairman.
According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, as things stand, former president and PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf and former Supreme Court lawyer Mustafa Ramday are going to be the two nominees for the post. They will be inducted into the PCB's 10-member board of governors (BoG) and will contest each other in the election to be the next Chairman for a three-year period.
The report further states that Ashraf is the overwhelming favorite to take charge, with the election just a formality.
The next PCB Chairman is expected to be caught in the eye of the storm right away
With the 2023 Asia Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup slated to take place in the near future, the next full-time Chairman will have a tough set of decisions to make.
While the hosting issue surrounding the Asia Cup seems to have been brought to a close after the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) accepted the hybrid model, the issue regarding Pakistan's participation in the 2023 ODI World Cup is still not clarified.
Pakistan have voiced their concern regarding the choice of venues for a few select matches in the tournament. They are not pleased with their group stage matches against India and Afghanistan being assigned in Ahmedabad and Chennai respectively. Additionally, their participation and eventual travel across the border is subject to clearance from the Pakistan government as well.