Faisal Hasnain to take over as new PCB chief executive

ISLAMABAD: As expected, Faisal Hasnain took over as new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday, (The News splashed the story in December 3 issue).

Instead of waiting for the expected Board of Governors (BoG) meeting on December 21, the approval of his appointment was sought through a circular resolution. Hasnain replaced Wasim Khan for the three-year term in the office. Though there is no specific constitutional clause for the CEO’s tenure, the general practice is of three years and extendable.

The tenure that starts from January will be Faisal’s first association with the PCB, though he has years of experience in cricket administration as well as a financial expert. Faisal Hasnain will formally assume charge in the first half of January 2022. “He may take over his role as the CEO in the second week of January. A resolution was moved to seek GoB members’ approval after which the announcement came,” a PCB official, when approached, said.

Top two candidates including a former bureaucrat were interviewed last week by the PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja following which the announcement came. Faisal is a UK-qualified Chartered Accountant and has had a professional career of over 35 years in high-profile finance and sports administration roles with some of the world’s leading blue-chip organisations. This includes his role in Monaco and Dubai as the Chief Financial Officer of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and as the Managing Director of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC).

As the ICC’s Chief Financial Officer, Faisal managed an overall financial portfolio of around $3billion and was also involved in the sale of the ICC’s commercial rights for the 2007-2015 and the 2016-2023 commercial cycles. With Zimbabwe Cricket, he was instrumental in the refinancing of their commercial debts, arriving at the financial arrangements between ZC and the ICC, securing ZC’s funding and status within the ICC and securing hosting rights for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 — Zimbabwe’s first global event in 15 years.

Ramiz was excited at his selection as he said: “I am delighted to confirm the appointment of Faisal Hasnain as the PCB’s Chief Executive Officer and welcome him to Pakistan cricket family.

“Faisal is a familiar figure in world cricket and is highly regarded, respected, and trusted for his excellence in corporate governance, financial management, and commercial acumen. With the plans I have for the PCB, Faisal will be a perfect fit as he can utilise his vast experience and knowledge to help us achieve our commercial and financial objectives of making Pakistan cricket bigger and stronger.”

Faisal said: “I feel honoured and privileged to have been awarded this once in a lifetime opportunity to serve Pakistan cricket and thank the PCB chairman and the Board of Governors for having the confidence in my capabilities.

“I am fully committed to playing my part in delivering the PCB Chairman’s vision for Pakistan cricket, fulfilling the expectations and dreams of millions of passionate Pakistan cricket fans and strengthening the relationships with our existing commercial partners, the ICC and other Cricket Boards and developing new partnerships as we move forward.

“These are highly exciting times in Pakistan cricket and I look forward to working very closely with my colleagues at the PCB so that we can collectively enhance the image, reputation and profile of this great institution.”