Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), is set to lose his job, leaving a spot for a potential replacement. According to reports, the recent political changes in the nation are partly responsible for the likely leadership shift at the PCB.
On August 9, the formal announcement of the impending elections coincided with the transition of the current administration, commanded by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, into a caretaker state. Additionally, in order to ensure a fair and impartial electoral process, the country’s election commission reportedly ordered the government to abolish any political posts. As a result, the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary was told by the government’s Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) that Ashraf was one of these political appointees.
Deputy Chairman Najam Sethi may be in a position to succeed Ashraf, according to a news report. Notably, Ashraf succeeded Sethi as leader in July 2023.
Political appointments have historically been made to the post of PCB chairman. However, Ashraf succeeded Sethi because the Pakistan People’s Party demanded that their candidate be appointed PCB head because they hold power over the federal ministry of sports. Ashraf was therefore handed the position, terminating Sethi’s seven-month term as of December 2022.