ISLAMABAD, Dec 9: Shaharyar M. Khan was named as the new Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday and said immediately that honesty of purpose, justice and discipline would be his key words.

“The green Pakistan cap has a lot of value and I will make sure that everybody respects it,” he said after receiving confirmation of his appointment. “I will also be concentrating more at the grassroots level because that is something quite important.”

A former foreign secretary, Mr Shaharyar is not new to cricket and managed the Pakistan team to India in 1998-99 and more recently at this year’s World Cup in southern Africa.

The Presidential announcement on Tuesday said:

“While accepting the resignation of Lt Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia as Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, President Gen Pervez Musharraf in his capacity as the Patron in Chief of the PCB, has been pleased to appoint former Foreign Secretary, Mr Shaharyar M. Khan, as the new Chairman of the PCB, it was officially announced.

“The President expressed the hope that the Chairman designate of the PCB would strive to uphold the excellent traditions set by his predecessors and that Pakistan cricket would benefit from his leadership and vast experience.”

Mr Shaharyar’s appointment ended days of speculation following the resignation of Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, who headed the PCB for four years, last week.

Big names were said to be in the run for the coveted post, among them former Test captains Majid Khan and Zaheer Abbas, Arif Ali Khan Abbasi and Khalid Mahmood.

The race had begun after Tauqir announced at the start of the month he was stepping down to take the pressure off his son Junaid Zia, who represented Pakistan in the home series against Bangladesh.

But insiders said that he quit because of a controversy over television rights that had led to a blackout of last month’s first one-day match between Pakistan and New Zealand in Lahore. Gen Tauqir denies the charge, saying he sent out his resignation to PCB’s Patron and President of Pakistan, Gen Pervez Musharraf, much before the crisis began.

Meanwhile, President Musharraf praised Gen Tauqir for his services for the uplift of cricket and his role in the rebuilding of the national team, a release from the Press Information Department (PID) said.

The President particularly mentioned the setting up of cricket academies during the retired General’s stint and stated that his contributions would be remembered in the years to come, the release added.

The immediate reaction to 69-year-old Mr Shaharyar’s appointment from cricket fans, players and officials was that of surprise and hope. They wished the new chairman well and hoped that he would do more than what Gen Tauqir was able to do.

Our Sports Reporter adds from Karachi: Mr Shaharyar, who was born in the Indian state of Bhopal on March 29, 1934, has himself played cricket, mostly in England.

He studied at Royal Indian Military College, Dehra Dun, secured honours degree in law from Cambridge University and did his masters in international affairs from Fletcher School in Boston, USA.

A career diplomat, he joined Pakistan foreign service in 1957, and also served as Ambassador and High Commissioner. He retired in 1994.

Mr Shaharyar hails from a distinguished sporting family. His grandfather Nawab Hamidullah Khan was a notable polo player in pre-partition India, while his mother Princess Abida Sultan was an outstanding player who excelled at squash, polo and hockey, annexing the All-India squash crown in 1948.

Mr Shaharyar, an enthusiastic cricketer who played most of his cricket in England, is a member of the world famed Marylebourne Cricket Club (MCC). He captained Pakistan Wanderers and also played for Wimbledon CC, a leading club of Pakistan.

Moreover, Iftikhar Ali Khan, the Nawab of Pataudi senior, was his uncle while Mansur Ali Khan, the Nawab of Pataudi junior, is his first cousin. Both Iftikhar and Mansur captained India in Test cricket.

Mr Shahayar will be the 26th individual to head the cricket board in Pakistan since May 1948.