‘No further extension’: minister on PCB Management Committee's tenure

ISLAMABAD: As uncertainty around the appointment of the new Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman continues, Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Minister Ehsanur Rehman Mazari denied a further extension in the board's Management Committee's tenure on Saturday.

"The tenure of PCB Management Committee will expire on June 20 and no further extension will be granted. The ministry will not send any extension summary to the PM,” he said.

The minister's comments came after former PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf held a second meeting within a week with him on Friday. The two had first met on Wednesday, with the minister clearly stating to stand by his party — Pakistan People's Party (PPP) — regarding the matter at all costs.

“I will only follow the direction of the Pakistan People’s Party top leadership. I have already sent the summary to the prime minister carrying Zaka Ashraf’s name as the future PCB Chairman," Mazari added.

The minister said Ashraf had been nominated as the PCB chairman by the PPP high-ups, and his credentials will be fully supported. “My meeting with Zaka was meant to discuss the future roadmap."

Meanwhile, Mazari again directed the PCB Management Committee to share details of all the expenditures for hiring and firing made during the last five months.

Following two letters written during the last two months, the Minister has also taken up the issue with PCB Chief Operating Officer (COO) Salman Naseer as to why the required details have not been submitted to the Ministry.

“Two letters have already been written to the PCB regarding details of expenditures since the MC took over the PCB reins. That also includes hiring and firing and even tours carried out during these months. We have not received any detailed answer so far,” the minister said.

The coming week is all the more important to decide the fate of the PCB and the position of the two top aspirants — Sethi and Ashraf.