KARACHI: Sensing a change in the top management of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the former chief executive of the board Arif Ali Khan Abassi on Wednesday urged the government in waiting to empower the regional associations which, he said, are the actual stakeholders of the game in the country.

“Only replacing the PCB chairman, which looks ominous, will not serve the purpose,” he said. It will be a mere eyewash”, Abbasi told this correspondent. “The General body of the regional associations should elect an executive council of 12 individuals to call the shots.” The former cricket board chief executive was of the opinion that the patron should appoint the PCB chairman as usual. “Since all the general body members can’t meet frequently, therefore the executive council should be given the mandate to assemble 5-6 times in a year to run the affairs”, the former PCB head opined.

Comment: Dear Mr PM-to-be, please let cricket be

Abbasi also called for a separate mechanism for the Pakistan Super League (PSL). “The PSL is purely a commercial venture which should operate independently with a competent businessman as it’s head,” he concluded.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2018