A fresh controversy is brewing in the PCB, now over Zaka Ashraf’s appointment as an official notification is yet to be issued. Reports coming from the PCB and government confirmed that the Presidency, which orders the notification, was facing some legal and constitutional issues over the appointment of Ashraf who is also serving as head of the state-owned Zarai Taraqyati Bank. Zaka has vowed to improve Pakistan cricket’s image, which has taken a beating due to allegations of match-fixing, is his top priority.
“My highest priority will be to improve the image of Pakistan’s cricket and stop bookies and match-fixers,” he told a TV channel. “The President has reposed great trust in me and I will work day and night for the country’s cricket,” he added. Pakistan cricket has been hit by allegations several times in the past. Most recently, three cricketers – former Test captain Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer – were banned for being involved in spot-fixing. “People in both Pakistan and India love cricket so I will try to work for the resumption of ties between the two countries,” he said.
“Till now no notification has been issued and until that is done Zaka Ashraf is not legally the Chairman of the board and for the time being Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmad will function as acting Chairman,” a board official said. In Pakistan, the President in his capacity as chief patron of the board appoints the Chairman of the board and orders the sports ministry to issue a notification in this regard.
“Another problem is the sports ministry is now defunct and in its place the government has provincial sports coordination committee which means more bureaucratic red-tapism in issuance of the notification,” a government official said. Ashraf has been appointed to replace Ijaz Butt whose three-year tenure ended on October 8.
“The problem facing the Presidency is that under the existing PCB constitution it has to appoint the Chairman for a three-year period. But under the new governance amendments issued by the ICC member boards have to ensure that maximum by June, 2013 they have a constitution in place which does not allow any government or political interference in cricket matters and also does not allow politicians to be appointed in the cricket boards.
He said the new ICC governance rules also state strongly that by 2013 every member board must have a democratic system of governance in place where the Chairman is appointed through free and fair elections. The ICC has already expressed its concerns over the appointment by the President of the new Chairman of the board citing the new governance rules. Interestingly, the ICC is so firm about its governance rules that earlier this month it had called a senior PCB official to London to meet with Lord Harry Woolf, a former chief justice of England and Wales, who is the chairman of its Independent Governance Review Committee.
“Yes, Chief Operating Officer, Subhan Ahmad went to London to meet with Lord Harry Woolf and representatives of Pricewaterhouse Coopers the renowned global professional services firm who are supporting Lord Woolfe in his work. The PCB official was asked to brief the concerned persons about the governance system in the PCB and how it can be reviewed to meet with the new ICC regulations by 2013 maximum,” reports quoted source as saying. In all this scenario there is considerable uncertainty in the PCB itself with employees worried about their future.
“It is a wrong time for this confusion and delay as the Pakistan team is going to UAE for the Sri Lanka series and the board is also on the lookout for a new coach,” another source said. The source said another problem facing the Presidency was that there was a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan in which corruption allegations were being heard against Ashraf.
