LAHORE: The wave of resignations from top personnel of the Pakistan Cricket Board continued on Friday with Pakistan Super League commissioner Naila Bhatti departing from her post.

Sources close to the matter claimed Naila had tendered her resignation on Thursday, linking it to the recent raids by the Federal Investigation Agency on the PCB headquarters.

Earlier this week, FIA had taken into custody PSL’s head of e-ticketing Mahvish Omer, charging embezzlement in the sale of tickets. “Naila was kept away from the matter and that’s why she decided to quit,” sources told Dawn.

Naila had joined the PCB during the first tenure of former chairman Najam Sethi, who was working on starting the PSL in 2016.

Sethi had been critical of FIA raids on the PCB headquarters, stating on X that Mahvish had sold tickets amounting Rs620million without a scandal but a charge that she had embezzled just Rs80,000 was levelled on her.

FIA cleared Mahvish after she proved that she had sent tickets amounting Rs150,000 to an embassy of a foreign country and the amount was deposited into the PCB accounts.

Naila had been brought in as PSL commissioner by Sethi last year.

Her resignation follows that of Dr Sohail Saleem, PCB’s head of medical department, after an inquiry set up by chairman Mohsin Naqvi into the negligence in dealing with pacer Ihsanullah’s injury found him guilty.

Sources claim Mohsin has also finalised a list of 100 PCB employees who will be terminated as they were recruited by his predecessor Zaka Ashraf for political purposes.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2024