LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) saw an elected chairman take its office for the first time in 13 months after media mogul Mohsin Naqvi was voted in unopposed by the body’s Board of Governors (BoG) on Tuesday.

Mohsin, who is set to leave his role as the caretaker chief minister of Punjab after Thursday’s general elections, was nominated as one of the BoG members by caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar — the PCB’s patron-in-chief as the premier — on January 27.

On Tuesday, the eight-member BoG decided to choose Mohsin, who owns two private television channels, as the PCB chairman for a three-year term, finally ending an unusually long stretch of interim rule over the board.

Mohsin’s election, as the 37th chairman of the PCB, also continued the historic tradition of the patron’s nominee ending up becoming the board’s chief.

The poll was carried out after the PCB’s election commissioner and acting chairman had “summoned a special meeting” of the BoG at the National Cricket Academy here, days after finalising its members — representatives from regional cricket associations and affiliated departments.

“I am deeply honoured and humbled to have been unanimously elected as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board,” Mohsin was quoted as saying by the PCB in a press release.

“I am thankful for the trust and confidence reposed in me. I am fully committed to upgrading the standard of the game in the country and bringing professionalism in the administration of cricket in Pakistan.”

Soon after his election, Mohsin visited the PCB’s offices and met chief selector Wahab Riaz, who is also his advisor on sports in the Punjab government. The new PCB chairman avoided facing the media.

It is worth noting that on December 22, 2022, the then PCB chairman Ramiz Raja was dismissed by former prime minister Shahbaz Sha­rif. Subsequently, Najam Sethi was appo­inted as the acting chairman for a six-month period, followed by Zaka Ashraf for four months.

Zaka received a three-month extension from PM Anwar.

Despite these transitions, a permanent chairman for the PCB remained elusive during this 13-month period. The current prime minister appointed Mohsin as PCB chairman just two days prior to the general elections scheduled for February 8, thereby preventing the incoming premier from making this appointment.

However, it remains to be seen whether the new prime pinister will retain Mohsin or opt to replace him.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2024