ISLAMABAD, May 27: Abu Shamim Arif, a retired bureaucrat, is likely to replace Ramiz Raja as the chief executive of Pakistan Cricket Board shortly. Shaharyar M. Khan, chairman of the PCB, who called on the Board Patron, General Pervez Musharraf, on Wednesday, is said to have sought his approval in this regard.

Ramiz and Shaharyar have apparently not been getting along well since the new chairman took over in December last year. Shaharyar in a comprehensive interview with Dawn earlier this month had said that to replace Ramiz, he would have to have the approval of Gen Musharraf.

He had also said that there existed a 'conflict of interest' as far as Ramiz's job as chief executive was concerned because he was wearing three hats. Ramiz does commentary for a television channel and is also an employee of Allied Bank.

An action committee of regional cricket associations headed by Aamir Hayat Rokri, demanding an end to ad-hocism in the PCB, had also asked for Ramiz's removal as the chief executive.