Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Zaka Ashraf is likely to be removed from his position paving the way for a potential new candidate to take up the role. The potential change in the PCB leadership is reportedly due to the recent political developments in the country. The present government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif transitioned to a caretaker status on August 9 along with the formal announcement of the upcoming elections. According to Cricbuzz, former Chairman Najam Sethi could be in line to replace Ashraf. Notably, Ashraf had taken over the reins from Sethi in July 2023.
The position of PCB chairman has traditionally been a political appointment. However, Ashraf took over from Sethi following a demand from the Pakistan People's Party who contended that the PCB chairman role should be given to their nominee as they have control over the federal sports ministry. As a result, Ashraf was given the role ending Sethi’s seven-month-long tenure since December 2022.Notably, Sethi was once again in contention to continue in his role, however, he pulled out of the race to avoid any conflict between Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif. Furthermore, it has come to light that the country's election commission communicated with the government, urging the removal of all political appointments to ensure a fair and unbiased electoral process. Subsequently, the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) corresponded with the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary, identifying Ashraf as one such political appointee.
