LAHORE – Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf had previously spearheaded the initiative to host the T10 League in Pakistan.
Initial discussions were held with the English cricket county Middlesex, and plans were made for exhibition matches in Rawalpindi from January 24 to 26. The proposed event had the potential to host a 40-member delegation, including male and female cricketers and officials from England.
However, despite obtaining government permission, the final approval has not been granted.
According to the latest reports, a five-member delegation in Islamabad presented a detailed project briefing to the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC). Subsequently, the budget for the exhibition matches was revised down to 280 million rupees.
Simultaneously, the Ministry sent a directive to the PCB headquarters in Lahore instructing them to curtail daily operations, including placing restrictions on seating, installing solar panels, and setting up fans at the stadium.
Additionally, the Ministry imposed restrictions on entering into Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with any cricket board.
In the midst of these developments, Zaka Ashraf is set to preside over the PCB management committee meeting.
During this meeting, a new governing board will be established, comprising four officials and four representatives from different regions. Former Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had nominated Zaka Ashraf and Mustafa Ramday as government candidates for these positions.
The anticipation is that the first meeting of the new governing board will take place within a week. During this session, any potential objections to the chairmanship nominations will be addressed and discussed. Following this, the final list of candidates will be officially announced. Despite the conventional expectation that the Prime Minister’s nominee assumes the chairmanship, the current circumstances suggest a departure from this norm.
