Govt seeks PCB record of last six month

Asks cricket governing body to provide details with regard to hiring, closure of inquires

ISLAMABAD:

The federal government has once again sought from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PBC) all records of the six months—from December 22, 2022 to June 19, 2023—during which renowned journalist Najam Sethi served as the chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) managing committee.

Sources have revealed that the country’s governing body for cricket is reluctant to provide this record to the government despite multiple reminders by the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination.

According to the sources, the ministry has sent five letters to the PCB Chief Operating Officer (CEO) Salman Naseer, seeking details with regard to hiring done during the term of Sethi, including data with regard to people—coaches included—appointed on contractual or permanent basis.

It has also sought details of all the expenses including the expenses incurred on management committee members. The ministry has also demanded details of all agreements signed during Sethi’s term.

It has asked the PBC to inform as to how many inquiries against coaches and officials were closed. It has asked the board to provide these details by July 4.  This is the fifth reminder sent to the PBC. Earlier, the ministry sent letters to the board on May 16, June 2, June 13 and June 22.

A copy of the reminder has also been sent to the PM office.

The Najam Sethi led management committee was appointed on December 22, 2022 "to restore the 2014 PCB Constitution in its letter and spirit" after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sacked Ramiz Raja as the PCB chairman in the wake of a 3-0 test series whitewash by England.

The committee was to run the affairs of the PCB till elections for the PCB chairman were held within the next four months.

PM Shehbaz, who is also the PCB patron, gave a two-month extension to the management committee on April 24. The notification of the extension was issued on April 23 by the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination.

However, Najam Sethi on June 19—three days before the end of his term –stepped down as head of the PCB, after pulling himself out of the race to become the next board chairman.

“I don’t want to be a bone of contention between [PPP Co-chairman] 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,” Sethi said in a post on Twitter.

Until recently it had seemed that Sethi would carry on after the interim set-up ended and be appointed chairman of the board. But speculation had grown over the last couple of weeks on the return of Zaka Ashraf, who has also served as the PCB chairman during the PPP’s rule.

The election for the PCB chairman was scheduled for June 27 but on that day, the election was deferred till July 17 on the order of a division bench of the Balochistan High Court (BHC).

The bench issued the order while hearing a petition filed by a former member of the PCB management committee, Gul Mohammad Kakar. The petitioner urged the court to stop the election for the chairman and suspend the Board of Governors (BoG) until it gives a verdict on his petition.