PM Kakar summons PCB boss Zaka Ashraf

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister (PM) Anwaarul Haq Kakar has summoned Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Interim Management Committee head Zaka Ashraf on December 11 after the latter sought a meeting, ARY News reported on Saturday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that the PCB boss would seek permission from PM Kakar to exercise his authority.

The current PCB interim management is barred from making policy decisions or any high-level appointments following a notification issued by the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC).

Following the notification, all the decisions – taken by the Zaka Ashraf-led management – are considered temporary. Due to the scheduled meeting, the PCB boss will not attend the final of ongoing National T20 Cup.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Ministry of Inter-provincial Coordination last month granted a three-month extension to the Zaka Ashraf-led body – which was due to end on November 5.

In the new notification for extension, the IPC ministry reiterated that the interim management committee “shall perform day to day affairs of PCB only and shall not make any policy decisions or high level appointments.”

It added: “The Management Committee shall perform primary task for finalizing the Board of Governors and conduct elections of Chairman PCB at the earliest.”

The PCB has been run on an ad-hoc basis since December 2022 when chairman Ramiz Raja was removed with Najam Sethi being named the chief of the first interim committee before it was replaced with the one led by Zaka in June.

Ashraf’s leadership has been criticised by members of the management committee and former cricketers for its decision-making and lack of movement over conducting board elections, which was the mandate it came in with in July.