ISLAMABAD: Zaka Ashraf Friday stepped down as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee chairman after serving at the top post for around six months.
Ashraf became part of PCB’s Board of Governors on July 6, 2023, after he assumed the role of Management Committee’s chairman by replacing Najam Sethi.
“I was working for the betterment of cricket but it is not possible for us to work in this way,” Ashraf said, as per the people present at a committee meeting.
“Now it is up to Prime Minister [Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar], whomever he nominates [will take my place],” he added.
Caretaker PM Kakar extended the term of the Ashraf-led Management Committee in November 2023. In a statement later, the PCB confirmed that Ashraf announced that he had decided to tender his resignation as chairman and member of the MC to Patron caretaker PM Kakar.
In his concluding remarks, Ashraf thanked the PCB Patron for the confidence and trust reposed by him and extended his best wishes and prayers for the betterment of Pakistani cricket. During the tenure of Ashraf, Pakistan played two major competitions — the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup — but came up short in both tournaments. The Men in Green failed to qualify in the final of the continental tournament while they also couldn’t qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup.
After the World Cup, Babar Azam resigned as the captain from all formats and was replaced by Shan Masood (Test) and Shaheen Afridi (T20I).
Management Committee also removed the coaching staff led by then-director Mickey Arthur. They were moved to the National Cricket Academy, however, they submitted their resignations later.
Former captain Mohammad Hafeez was appointed as the team director while ex-pacer Wahab Riaz was named head of the selection committee.
The side has failed to win a single game under the new leadership. They were whitewashed 3-0 in the Test series against Australia while they have lost the first four games of the T20I series in New Zealand with one match to go. –Agencies
