“The good steps we took to professionalise and invigorate cricket and clean up the PCB will not be allowed to go in vain,” said Najam Sethi. PHOTO: ONLINE
Pakistan’s suspended cricket chief Najam Sethi vowed on Sunday to appeal against a court judgement which reinstated his rival in the latest round of musical chairs in the game’s management.
The Islamabad high court on Saturday overturned a February 10, 2014 order by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointing Sethi as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and sacking Zaka Ashraf.
Saturday’s judgement reinstated Ashraf for the second time this year, after he was initially suspended by the same court in 2013 over ‘dubious elections’.
Sethi said the court judgement would be challenged ‘vigorously and swiftly’.
“The good steps we took to professionalise and invigorate cricket and clean up the PCB will not be allowed to go in vain,” said Sethi.
The Sethi-led PCB has initiated a complete overhaul of the Board since February, terminating surplus staff which the court ordered in May last year.
Sethi also appointed several coaches, including head coach Waqar Younis and batting coach Grant Flower of Zimbabwe earlier this month in a bid to improve team’s performance in next year’s World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Sethi said he was in the process of giving the PCB a democratic constitution and was set to hold elections by next month.
“Two former Supreme Court judges submitted a draft of a democratic PCB constitution to the federal government last week. I wrote to the government to vet it, promulgate it and hold PCB chairman and board elections before 9th June.”
Meanwhile, Ashraf has vowed to review all decisions taken by the Sethi-led management committee, including those of coaches.
“A good number of decisions and appointments have been made by the previous PCB set-up. I will review each one of them to decide if these were made on merit,” Ashraf told Pakistani media.
The frequent changes in PCB’s set up has raised concerns in the International Cricket Council (ICC), which finds it difficult to finalise important issues with frequent changes in Pakistan cricket management. Ashraf had strongly opposed the proposed revamp in the ICC meeting in February while Sethi conditionally agreed to the changes in the last meeting in April.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2014.
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Why this sethi guy can't mind his own business of journalism and spare the cricket.
I voted fror PTI in 2013 and probabaly do so again given the chance unless they continue their current anti democractic and anti development campaign.
I like Sethi's insicive analysis .The only genuine guy delivering in depth commentary and opening the eyes of innocent people to the intrigues conjstantly going behind the scene.
But he is damaging his credibility big time by insisting on PCB chairmanship.He better abondone his quest for his own an d good journalism sake. Pak nation is not mature enough to accept this scnerio nor are you angel to remain nuetral .I dont want to loose a good commentator . Please voluntarily withdraw from the rat race. Let NS deal with it.
Najam Sethi's credibility took a nosedive after he accepted the interim CM job, and later the PCB job. And now, rather than simply resigning (given that he also does a news/opinion TV show) and extricating himself from this mess, esp from a body that oversees a sport he has no experience in, he is further embroiling himself in this political scandal. I have no respect for him and his opinions. If he can act so desperate over a PCB job, I wonder how much he sells his opinions for? Any guess?
@Saleem: Did you actually say that Fair election can be conducted by ECP? Was that a joke? ECP has lost its credibility last year.
Dear Mr. Sethi
This job costed you credibility so you better forget it now and try to repair your damaged credibility which is uphill task and have some mercy on Cricket.
Dear Mr. Sethi
this PCB job costed you credibility already so you better forget it and try to focus on your original job and try to repair credibility which is uphill task.
Is there no end to Mr. Sethi's power-grab ? This guy is bad news for Pakistani Cricket.
Who will fight his case? Geo?
Stop this non-sense for God's sake. What are our courts doing? Reinstating one and then the other and cycle repeats. This is damaging our cricket. Can this stop please??? Sethi is MNSs pittoo, he should never have been the PCB boss. MNS rewarded him for helping him win elections. Zaka is Zardari's man, there are no angels here. IMO the solution is a fair election conducted by ECP perhaps and put this matter to rest ASAP.
Why is sethi absolutely dying for this job. Its not like he came legitimately. Stick to chiryas, cricket is not your game.
Nawaz Sharif says to Najam Sethi, "peye jao".
I wonder billionaires of our country are after PCB top job. I can smell a rat
The greed and lust of this chap for control and power are never ending. Morally and financial corrupt person.