Sethi reveals three primary objectives as PCB chairman

69-year-old discusses his plans if he succeeds Shaharyar Khan as expected

KARACHI: For the past decade, Najam Sethi has been the most prominent man of Pakistan’s most prominent sport.

He was involved in a high-profile feud for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairmanship with Zaka Ashraf, he has been the head of the board’s Executive Committee for several years now and, most importantly, he is the man who brought the long-proposed Pakistan Super League (PSL) to fruition.

Along the way he has had his naysayers and his critics but, like it or not, his association with the echelons of Pakistan cricket is far from finished.  He is almost certain to take over as its most powerful man once current PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan steps down in August.

“No, I will not be stepping down as the head of the PSL if I do become the PCB chairman. I must assert here that nothing is confirmed yet,” Sethi was quick to assert while talking to The Express Tribune, perhaps the only man in the entire country who still has any doubts about who will be taking over the reins once Shaharyar retires. “The PSL head was appointed by the PCB’s Board of Governors so there is no need for me to step down from that role.”

Unlike the role of the PCB chairman, the role of PSL head does not come with a set tenure. And while he may not be sure whether he will be the chairman of the board but that hasn’t stopped Sethi from drawing up a list of what he plans to do if he does end up in that position.

“I have three primary objectives if I do become the PCB chairman. The first one is to bring the PSL back to Pakistan,” his usually calm tone broken up by how strongly he feels for the league he built; his voice suddenly firm and determined. “The league needs to return to Pakistan. The sooner we do it, the better it is for the league and cricket in the country in general.”

But Sethi doesn’t want to rest on his laurels if and when the PSL comes home. “The second goal I have set myself is to bring back bilateral international series to Pakistan.”

The successful hosting of the PSL final in Lahore has paved way for talks of international cricket returning to Pakistan, but it was an altogether more damning episode in this year’s PSL that Sethi wants to tackle as his third objective.

“I want to wipe out all corruption that may exist in Pakistan’s cricketing system — whether it be in domestic tournaments or international matches,” said the executive committee head.

There was then a slight pause and a long, heavy breath as if well aware of the ramifications of what he was about to say next. “This is the first time I am saying this, so I should be careful with what I say; I will be looking very closely at the findings of the Qayyum report,” he added, saying every word slowly and deliberately.

When asked if he believed ignoring the report in the first place was folly and whether the PSL corruption scandal was, at least in part, due to that, Sethi’s answer was both empathic and categorical. “Yes.”

Sethi also has secondary objectives that he insists will not be ignored. “We need to bring in qualified curators and produce better, international quality, pitches that have both bounce and grass so that our players can get used to playing in such conditions,” he added. “We will also be changing the structure of academies.”

There has also been a lot of complaints about the lack of competitiveness in domestic cricket, with the bigger departmental sides hogging all the big players and Sethi intends on putting a stop to that. “The departments will be obliged to lend their players to regional teams when they play so that regional teams can also have good players.”

What this sharing of players will do is put the final nail in the coffin of the ill-fated idea of pitting regional and departmental sides against each other. “Yes, none of that hogwash,” he confirmed.

It may not be certain yet if Sethi becomes the PCB chairman or not, but one thing is certain; if he does, then change is coming.