Shah Khawar named PCB’s interim chief after Zaka Ashraf’s exit

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed its Election Commissioner Shah Khawar as its new interim chief on Wednesday, January 24. The appointment comes days after Zaka Ashraf resigned as PCB’s management committee head.

Khawar was welcomed by PCB COO Salmar Naseer, directors, and other staff as he took charge on his arrival at the cricket board’s headquarters. He will now serve until the PCB elections, which are due to take place within one month.

Khawar said in a statement following his appointment:

“I would like to thank the Patron of the PCB, Mr Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, for reposing trust in me. My primary responsibility will be to hold the election of Chairman PCB in a free and transparent manner at the earliest.”

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PCB, meanwhile, said in a statement:

"According to the notification dated 23 January 2024 from the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ministry and by virtue of Article 7(2) of the PCB Constitution the Election Commissioner is vested with the powers of Chairman PCB."

As per Cricket Pakistan, Mohsin Naqvi, the front-runner to become the next PCB chief, will currently work as a member of the governing board.

PCB chiefs have yet to complete their term since Ehsan Mani in 2021. Ramiz Raja served for 15 months (September 2021 – December 22), while Najam Sethi (December 2022 – June 2023) and Zaka Ashraf (July 2023 – January 2024) failed to last even one year, respectively.

Pakistan register back-to-back series losses under last PCB chief's tenure

On the team front, Pakistan are coming off the back of two consecutive series defeats in Australia and New Zealand. The Shan Masood-led side were whitewashed 0-3 in the Test series against Australia before Shaheen Afridi and company lost 1-4 to the Kiwis in a five-match T20I series.

The defeats came after Babar Azam stepped down as Pakistan captain across formats following the 2023 ODI World Cup, where the Men in Green finished fifth in the points table.

Pakistan will next play against England in a four-match away T20I series in May ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup. The marquee tournament will be played in the USA and the West Indies in June later this year. The Men in Green are placed alongside India, the United States, Canada, and Ireland in Group A.

Pakistani players will now shift their focus to the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL), which starts at the Gadaffi Stadium between the defending champions Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United on February 17.