PCB Chairman | Rameez Raja sacked as PCB chairman, 14-member panel takes charge

Karachi: The Pakistan government has appointed a 14-member panel headed by Najam Sethi to run cricket in the country for the next four months, replacing former cricketer Ramiz Raja as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

The Pakistan government issued a notification regarding the sacking of Rameez late on Wednesday night. The decision was taken after Pakistan’s humiliating 0-3 Test series defeat at the hands of England. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued this notification, which is yet to be approved by the cabinet, which is a mere formality.

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PCB Patron Sharif has replaced Rameez and appointed a new panel headed by Sethi. Rameez was appointed as the PCB chairman in September 2021 by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. He remained in this position for 15 months. Rameez became the 36th chairman of the PCB after Ehsan Mani stepped down. He was the fourth former cricketer to be entrusted with this responsibility. Cricketers who held the position before him include Ejaz Butt (2008–11), Javed Burki (1994–95) and Abdul Hafeez Kardar (1972–77).

Sethi was the chairman and chief executive officer of the PCB from 2013 to 2018. He left his post after the victory of Imran’s party in the 2018 general elections. The PCB or Rameez are yet to react to the development, which comes just days before the two-Test series against New Zealand begins in Karachi on December 26. The notification said the Prime Minister reviewed the 2014 constitution of the PCB and superseded the current constitution implemented from 2019.

According to the notification, Sethi will head the management committee which includes former Pakistan players Shahid Afridi, Haroon Rashid, Shafqat Rana and former women’s team captain Sana Mir. Other members of the committee include former members of the governing board that were canceled in 2019. The notification was issued hours after the PCB announced the squad for the series against New Zealand. The New Zealand team is visiting Pakistan for a Test series after 19 years. (agency)