ISLAMABAD -


Chaudhry M Zaka Ashraf managed to become the first elected PCB chairman for tenure of four years as prescribed in the newly drafted PCB constitution after the first Board of Governors (BoG) meeting held here at a local hotel on Wednesday.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) directed all its members to run their boards democratically and without government interference, threatening sanctions for any board that did not meet its requirements by June 2013. Ashraf, 60, has been PCB chairman since October 2011, when he was appointed by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari under the old system.
Zaka presided over the first meeting of the Board of Governors under the new constitution of the cricket board. The BOG, as per PCB constitution, elected two of its members Naveed Akram Cheema and M Rafiq Bughio to represent the BOG in the nomination committee. Earlier, president Asif Ali Zardari, who is also PCB patron-in-chief, had appointed Justice (retd) Maulvi Anwarul Haq, consultant (legal affairs) president's sectary and Chaudhry Qamar Zaman secretary Education and Training as patron’s nominees in the nomination committee.
The nomination committee interviewed two candidates recommended by the patron, Zaka Ashraf and Aftab Ahmad Khan, FCA, former chairman Lahore Stock Exchange and after detailed deliberation unanimously recommended the name of Zaka for the post of PCB chairman.
Thereafter, the BoG reassembled and provided leave to chairman to excuse himself. The BoG considered and unanimously endorsed the recommended nominee of the patron and the nomination committee Zaka to be the PCB chairman with effect from Wednesday.
Those who attuned the Board of Governors meeting were Zaka Ashraf, Naveed Akram Cheema, Shakil Ahmad Sheikh, M Rafiq Bughio, Wisal M Durrani, Qaisar Khan Jamali, Aly Mustansir, Masood Anwar Hamid, M Haroon Rasheed and M Iqbal Qasim (BoG members) while COO Subhan Ahmad and chief financial officer Badar Manzoor Khan were also present on the occasion. Former judge High Court Imtiaz Siddique and legal advisor PCB Taffazul Haider Rizvi assisted the BoG on legal and constitutional matters.
ICC president Alan Isaac last month commended the PCB's effort to reform. Despite Zaka’s election, the PCB is reportedly facing opposition from various associations and former PCB chiefs on the voting process. Punjab member didn't attend the five-hour long meeting and patron instead of sending three names just opted to send two names which ensured smooth sailing for Zaka Ashraf.
According to sources, Zaka wanted to get elected before May 11 elections which he managed to do, but cricketing circles were also active against governing board decision and were in close contact with high profile personalities in this regard and wanted to take legal action through courts. It is pertinent to mention here that despite repeated attempts made by the journalists of twin cities to have a formal chat with the PCB chief on the latest developments, PCB GM media Nadeem Sarwar declined the journalists to arrange a meeting with the PCB chairman or BoG members and said the media release would be provided by the board to all the journalists.
It was an historic event as for the first time in the history of Pakistan, an elected chairman was going to take over the helm of the PCB affairs and it was the national and moral duty of the PCB GM media to assist the journalists by arranging a media talk with the PCB chairman and BoG members, as there were many questions needed to be answered, but all the requests fell on deaf ears and journalists who had waited outside the hotel for several hours had to return without meeting chairman or BoG members.
The PCB media department had to shun these double standards, when the media persons were very much present on the site, then what was the reason not to let them talk to the chairman? The reason is very simple that they don’t want to face the music and want to hush up the entire proceedings from the rest of the world and just want to present their own point of view.