PCB executive body chief: Sethi’s appointment challenged in IHC

IHC will take up petitions today

ISLAMABAD: Two former test cricketers have challenged Najam Sethi’s appointment as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) executive committee chairman in the Islamabad High Court.

The petitioners have accused Sethi of ‘promoting a gambling mafia in the PCB’.

Former cricketers, Sarfraz Nawaz and Muhammad Ilyas Mahmood in their separate petitions through their counsel Abdur Razzaq Rajab have made the federal government, PCB chairman and Sethi as respondents.

The cases have been fixed before two IHC single benches comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Athar Minallah for Tuesday (today).

The petitioners said that Sethi had given an undertaking before the Supreme Court that he was not going to contest PCB elections.

He, however, has been holding key positions including the executive body chairman slot, the counsel contended.

The petitioners maintained that Sethi was ‘currently more powerful than the PCB chairman’.

They have also contended that the IHC has restrained Sethi from performing any job in the PCB and the injunctive order has not been assailed by the respondents.

They have maintained that creation of new posts and appointment of Sethi was illegal, unlawful and against the PCB constitution as well as Sports (Development and Control) Ordinance, 1962.

The former cricketers alleged that Sethi was running all affairs of the board including financial matters and his act was destroying the game of cricket.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2016.