In a recent development, Shah Khawar, the election commissioner of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has been appointed as interim chairman of the PCB. This announcement was made as Shah Khawar assumed the role of acting board chief on Wednesday.
Following the humiliating defeats against Australia and New Zealand, Zaka Ashraf resigned as head of the PCB Management Committee. Following his resignation, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar appointed Mohsin Naqvi to head the PCB.
Mohsin Naqvi to contest for PCB chairman post in upcoming elections: Reports
However, Shah Khawar took charge at the PCB headquarters in Lahore on Wednesday. The titular attorney will officially hold office until the next Board elections. Meanwhile, Mohsin Naqvi will discharge his responsibilities as a member of the governing body of the PCB.
According to Clause 2 of Article 7 of the PCB Constitution, when the post of President becomes vacant, all powers are transferred to the Chief Election Commissioner. The Commissioner is constitutionally required to complete the board election process within four weeks, allowing the president-elect to take office within one week.
The elections are expected to take place next month, probably in the first week of February. Khawar is expected to oversee the PCB elections, while Mohsin Naqvi plans to run for the post of president for a three-year term if he is elected. Mohsin will step down as interim Chief Minister of Punjab before the general elections.
We have no continuity in our cricket structure – Javed Miandad
Legendary Javed Miandad expressed concern over the volatile state of cricket in Pakistan and highlighted the frequent leadership changes. Miandad highlighted that such frequent appointments influence the confidence of the players.
“I have not seen cricket governance anywhere in the world like what we see in Pakistan and this situation is really sad,” Miandad told the media.
“I don’t think anywhere such frequent appointments and changes are made in cricket and that just means we don’t have continuity in our cricket structure and more importantly the players don’t gain confidence,” he added.
“Since last year we have had a very bad time in terms of the performance of our team and people who have no knowledge of cricket sit and make decisions that affect the entire structure of the country.”
Pakistan faced challenges last year, with lackluster performances in the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup. The team failed to reach the final of the Asia Cup and placed fifth in the ODI World Cup 2023. Babar Azam stepped down as captain in all formats.
Mickey Arthur, Grant Bradburn and Andrew Puttick resigned after being reassigned to the National Cricket Academy. Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez took over as team manager and Wahab Riaz took over as head of the selection committee.
Pakistan suffered a 1-4 defeat in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, following a 3-0 loss in the Test series against Australia. The Pakistan team’s next assignment will be a five-match T20I series in England in May.
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