Zaka Ashraf resigns as PCB Chairman over lack of power

Following a management committee meeting in Lahore, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf resigned from his role on Friday, citing the lack of powers to administer the board, meaning a fourth change will come into force in 13 months. A ten-man management committee took over the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after former captain Ramiz Raja was sacked as chairman in December 2022.

In June last year, Ashraf was appointed as the committee's head, replacing Najam Sethi, and was given the task of organizing an election for the role of PCB chairman before February 4 this year.

"We can't work with our hands tied, so I am resigning from the post. I wanted to do work for the betterment of cricket in Pakistan,” Ashraf told local media.

Local media reported that Ashraf was allowed to manage only day-to-day affairs by the Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee -- which looks after the affairs of sports in Pakistan. 

Pakistan cricket has a history of the board's top official being appointed by the ruling party as the incumbent prime minister is the patron of the PCB. The PCB's separate 10-member board of governors contains two members nominated by the prime minister and from them, a chairman is elected for a term of three years.

The caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar will now decide who takes over as the chairman of the committee. Until then, an interim head will be in charge.

The Ashraf-led committee came under severe criticism after the national team fared badly in the Asia Cup and World Cup last year. Pakistan were also swept 3-0 in the Test series in Australia earlier this month and currently trail 0-4 in a five-match T20I series in New Zealand.

(With inputs from AFP)