LAHORE
\nZaka Ashraf tendered his resignation as the Pakistan Cricket Board\u2019s (PCB) Interim Management Committee (IMC) chairman on Friday, departing from his role 16 days prior to the scheduled completion of his extended three-month term, which commenced on November 4 last year.
\nThe resignation, addressed to the patron-in-chief of PCB, Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, was submitted shortly after Mr Ashraf had chaired his final IMC meeting.
\nThe committee granted app\u00adroval to financial accounts and finalised the budget for the upcoming ninth edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL), set to kick off on February 17.
\nConfirming his departure to Dawn, Zaka Ashraf stated: \u201cYes, I have sent my resignation to the patron, citing reasons of having no more time to perform the duty as PCB chairman as I have other assignments.\u201d
\nHe expressed gratitude to the patron for the trust placed in him during his tenure, adding that he \u201cdid my best to perform\u201d.
\nDuring the final IMC meeting under his leadership, financial accounts were approved, and the budget for the upcoming edition of the PSL was greenlit.
\n\u201cThe budget for the ninth PSL is almost 15 per cent less than the one spent on the previous edition, despite the price escalation in the country,\u201d he noted.
\nAlthough citing time constraints as the reason for his resignation, sources indicated that Mr Ashraf\u2019s effectiveness was hindered by the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, which delayed approvals for his submitted summaries.
\nThe ministry maintained that his mandate was limited to day-to-day affairs, as per the prime minister\u2019s notification.
\nMr Ashraf, originally nominated by then premier Shehbaz Sharif, faced obstacles in organising PCB chairman elections due to legal challenges. Consequently, the IMC was formed, with Mr Ashraf as the chairman, to address the crisis. His tenure, initially set for four months, was extended for an additional three months, concluding on February 4.
\nFollowing Pakistan\u2019s dismal run in last year\u2019s World Cup, Mr Ashraf reshaped the team\u2019s management, appointing Mohammad Hafeez as the team director after removing Mickey Arthur from the post along with his staff of head coach Grant Bradburn and batting coach Andrew Puttick.
\nIt was under his tenure that Babar Azam stepped down as Pakistan\u2019s all-format captain after nearly four years in charge. Mr Ashraf had also sent home chief selector Inzamamul Haq and replaced him with Wahab Riaz.
\nMeanwhile, Shan Masood was appointed as Pakistan\u2019s Test captain while Shaheen Shah Afridi was named as the Twenty International skipper.
\nHowever, the team\u2019s performances under Hafeez\u2019s command have been lackluster so far, adding to Pakistan\u2019s on-field woes under Mr Ashraf\u2019s reign, which saw the side\u2019s disastrous show in the Asia Cup as well.
\nSources suggested that players had begun disregarding Mr Hafeez\u2019s authority, attributing it to Mr Ashraf\u2019s perceived lack of power. The prevailing circumstances hinted at an untenable situation, prompting the IMC chairman\u2019s resignation.
\nMr Ashraf had previously faced a similar situation in 2013 when he left the PCB chairmanship. Despite being appointed by then-patron and Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari, the change in government led by the incoming prime minister Nawaz Sharif compelled his resignation.
\nThe PCB, in a press release, highlighted the accomplishments of Mr Ashraf\u2019s tenure. The statement acknowledged significant achievements, including increased contributions for PCB from the ICC revenue, a historic BCCI delegation visit last year, and a few notable successes for both men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams.
\nPresident of the Islamabad Cricket Association, Shakil Sheikh, a staunch critic of Mr Ashraf, said the outgoing chief\u2019s tenure was the \u201cdarkest era\u201d in PCB\u2019s history.
\nFollowing the resignation, Prime Minister Kakar, in accordance with Article 38 of the PCB Constitution, holds the authority to nominate a new IMC along with a new chairman. The appointed IMC will be responsible for nominating the Board of Governors and organising elections for the new PCB chairman.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LAHORE Zaka Ashraf tendered his resignation as the Pakistan Cricket Board\u2019s (PCB) Interim Management Committee (IMC) chairman on Friday, departing from his role 16 days prior to the scheduled completion of his extended three-month term, which commenced on November 4 last year. The resignation, addressed to the patron-in-chief of PCB, Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":382101,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-382070","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n