Zaka Ashraf resigns as chairman of the PCB
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Interim Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf has announced his resignation.
New Delhi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) interim management committee chairman Zaka Ashraf announced his resignation on Friday. Ashraf, who has been an integral part of PCB's Board of Directors since July 6, 2023, stepped into the role of Chairman of the Management Committee after succeeding Najam Sethi.
The decision to resign was announced at a crucial meeting of the management committee of the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, where Ashraf tendered his resignation to the patron, Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar.
A statement from the PCB acknowledged Ashraf's departure, expressing gratitude for his services and good wishes for the betterment of Pakistan and its cricket.
“In his closing remarks, Zaka Ashraf thanked the patron PCB for the trust reposed by him and expressed his best wishes and prayers for the betterment of Pakistan and Pakistani cricket,” the press release said.
Ashraf's tenure, however, was not without controversy. Criticism mounted, with focus on PCB's activities and a particularly controversial statement during the World Cup, blaming captain Babar Azam and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq for Pakistan's lackluster performance. The situation escalated with a leaked WhatsApp conversation between Babar and a top PCB official, implicating Ashraf in allegedly instructing the broadcast of the conversation.
Facing allegations of conflict of interest, Inzamam-ul-Haq resigned as chief selector, prompting the PCB to launch an investigation. Despite a three-month extension by the interim Prime Minister, Ashraf's government faced challenges, culminating in the task of holding elections for the PCB chairman and finalizing the Board of Directors.
After the World Cup, a wind of change blew through Pakistani cricket as Babar Azam relinquished the captaincy, paving the way for Shan Masood (Test) and Shaheen Afridi (T20I) to lead the respective formats. Under the leadership of the Zaka Ashraf-led management committee, the coaching staff, led by director Mickey Arthur, faced redundancy, with former captain Mohammad Hafeez appointed as team director and ex-pacer Wahab Riaz leading the selection committee.
However, the shift in leadership did not yield immediate success on the field. The Shan Masood-led Test side endured a 3-0 series sweep in Australia, while Shaheen Afridi's T20I team suffered setbacks in New Zealand, losing the first four matches of the series.