LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi on Monday tendered his resignation and sent it to the Board’s patron-in-chief, Prime Minister Imran Khan, who immediately announced the name of ex-ICC president Ihsan Mani as Sethi’s successor.

Sethi was elected for a three-year term last year (2017-2020) and two years of his term are still remaining.

It may be mentioned that since the time Imran and his party won the general elections on July 25, the rumours about Sethi’s future had been taking rounds. As per the tradition, the PCB chief quits post almost immediately with the change in govt and the incoming regime names its own chairman.

In his letter to Imran, a copy of which is with Dawn, Sethi said he was nominated to the Board of Governors of the PCB (as per the PCB constitution of 2014 approved by the ICC and Supreme Court of Pakistan) by ex-prime minsiter Nawaz Sharif from 2014-2017 and then again from 2017-2020 by ex Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Earlier in the day, Sethi in his tweet said: “I was waiting for the new prime minister to take oath before submitting my resignation as PCB chairman, which I have done today. I wish PCB all the best and hope our cricket team goes from strength to strength. Eid Mubarak. Pakistan Zindabad.

“I was unanimously elected chairman PCB in August 2017 by all ten members of the BoG for a three-year term ending in 2020. I believe I have served the cause of cricket diligently,” wrote Sethi. “You have said on many occasions that you have a vision for Pakistan cricket. Therefore, it is only proper that you should assume charge and responsibility for assembling a management team for PCB that enjoys your full confidence and trust.”

“In order to facilitate your objectives in the interest of Pakistan cricket, I hereby submit my resignation as chairman of PCB and member of its BoG,” added Sethi.

Sethi is also fighting a defamation case in the court of law against Imran after the latter had alleged that as care taker chief minister of Punjab in 2013, Sethi had played a role to award 35 seats to his rival party of PML-N. However, Imran later took back his allegation, calling it as a political one but Sethi refused to withdraw the case which is still pending for hearing in a lower court.

The posting of ex-ICC president Mani has been highly anticipated by the cricketing circles as he has been a close associate of Imran. However, it remains to be seen whether Mani is allowed to take over the coveted post since he possesses dual nationality of Pakistan and England and, according to a key decision of the Supreme Court, such people are not allowed to contest elections in Pakistan. However, the PCB’s constitution has no such binding for the chairman.

Meanwhile, just hours before Sethi’s resignation, former PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf, in a talk with Dawn, had advised him to resign since Imran had already asked him to do so before taking oath as Prime Minister. “Before winning the general elections [on July 25], Imran had asked Sethi to resign from the PCB post,” recalled Zaka.

However, when reminded that he himself went through a similar phase when as a result of the general elections held in 2013, ex-premier Nawaz Sharif had stated that he did not want to see him (Zaka) continuing as PCB chairman since he was appointed by previous president Asif Ali Zardari, Zaka said: “I was elected under a PCB constitution which was also approved by the ICC. But Nawaz dissolved that constitution and went all out to bring Najam Sethi in as chairman PCB.

“Even the honourable court had restored me as chairman under the PCB constitution but Nawaz was hell bent on appointing his own man,” said Zaka.

“I will advice Sethi to go home and not to further damage the PCB with his wrong policies.”

When reminded about Sethi’s achievements including launch of Pakistan Super League (PSL) and bringing some foreign teams to play matches in Pakistan, Zaka said that it was his idea to introduce the PSL which Sethi had cashed on.

“Sethi has not conducted the audit of PSL accounts to date and things are being concealed from the media and general public,” alleged Zaka. “The media rights for PSL are also being sold out in total secrecy.”

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2018