Ramiz Raja has reportedly been removed from his post as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) with replacement names already under consideration.
The Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) is formally moving ahead with Ramiz’s ouster after weeks of speculation.
The IPC’s summary which has been sent to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif includes the names of Najam Sethi and Shakil Sheikh as new PCB Governing Board members in place of Asad Ali Khan and Ramiz Raja.
Their formal appointment depends on the summary being approved by the cabinet which should not be much of a hurdle.
Ramiz Raja was appointed as Chairman of the PCB by former Prime Minister Imran Khan on September 13, 2021, and his post was in immediate danger as soon as he was removed from office and the coalition government took charge.
Despite his best endeavours to revolutionise cricket in Pakistan with elaborate plans and rhetorics, he could not move the needle any more than his predecessors.
The fate of the Pakistan Junior League, his pet project, also hangs in the balance after his removal.
Raja replaced Ehsan Mani in the role.
Sethi, meanwhile, previously held the position as a caretaker in 2013 but had to make way for a returning Muhammad Zaka Ashraf after his legal battle concluded.
He returned for a proper stint in 2017 but resigned when Imran Khan came to power.
His return also means that the PCB will revert back to departmental cricket instead of six-association teams as he reverses the policies of Khan’s regime.
Joining him in the new-formed committee are Shahid Afridi, Sana Mir, Shafqat Rana, Shakeel Shaikh, Nauman Butt, Gul Zada, Haroon Rashid, Gul Mohammad Kakar, Ayaz Butt, Mustafa Ramday, Chaudhry Arif Saeed, Aized Sayed and Tanvir Ahmed.
