KARACHI, Feb 10: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt has dismissed calls for his resignation by members of the Senate Standing Committee on Sports, claiming that he continues to have the backing of PCB chief patron Asif Ali Zardari.

The senators tore into Ijaz and other officials at a special hearing on Monday and blamed them for the poor state of affairs in the cricket board. But Butt made it clear he had no intentions to resign.

“Why should I resign? I will continue to work until I enjoy the confidence of the chief patron of the board [President Asif Zardari],” he said. “Me and my team are doing everything to streamline cricket affairs in the country and for this we need some time. We can’t produce results overnight,” Ijaz, a former Test player, said.

Ijaz plans to hold a press conference later on Tuesday to clarify certain points made after the Senate hearing.

“I think some people have misrepresented facts of the proceedings at the Senate hearing. I will try to set the record straight at my conference,” Ijaz claimed.

The PCB chief said there was a lobby in the Board trying to gun him down.

“The situation in the board is not as gloomy and bad as is being made out after the Senate hearing. I will also disclose some facts about what is happening,” Ijaz said.

He admitted that after the Senate hearing, where he had an exchange with former captain Javed Miandad, it would be difficult for him to have Miandad working again in the board.

Miandad had resigned as director general claiming that Butt had not given him the promised powers and authority in the board.

The Senate had summoned the former captain for the hearing where he denied PCB chief’s claims that he had asked for Rs 1.6 million salary.

Ijaz said he would leave the decision to whether restore or offer a new contract to Miandad to the governing council of the board.—Agencies