Former cricketer Ramiz Raja has been dismissed from his position as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) by the government of Pakistan. In his place, a 14-person committee led by Najam Sethi has been appointed to manage the day-to-day operations of the sport for the next four months.
After Pakistan’s national cricket team was swept by England in the Test series, 3-0, the Pakistani authorities informed the public late on Wednesday that Ramiz Raja had been removed from his position.
The notification, which was issued by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif, needs to be authorised by the federal cabinet, but this will merely be a formality.
The events that took place on Wednesday gave credence to the rumours that Sharif, who serves as the PCB’s patron-in-chief, had made the decision to nominate Sethi as the next chairman of the organisation that oversees cricket in the country.
After being selected by the previous PM, Imran Khan, to take over as chairman of the PCB in September 2021, Raja held that position for the subsequent 15 months.
After his predecessor Ehsan Mani resigned from his position as chairman of the PCB, Raja was elected to succeed him as the organization’s 36th leader.
After Ijaz Butt (2008-2011), Javed Burki (1994-95), and Abdul Hafeez Kardar, he was the fourth former cricketer to be appointed to the job. Ijaz Butt held the position from 2008-2011. (1972-77).
Between the years of 2013 and 2018, Sethi served as the chairman and CEO of the PCB. He tendered his resignation not long after Imran and his party won the general elections in 2018.
However, there was no official statement from the PCB or Raja regarding the most recent developments in the days leading up to the opening of the Test series against New Zealand on December 26 in Karachi.
According to the notification, the PM has “examined” the 2014 version of the PCB constitution and discarded the 2019 version of the constitution that was previously in place.
According to the notification, Sethi will serve as the president of the management committee, which also comprises former players for Pakistan such as Shahid Afridi, Haroon Rasheed, and Shafqat Rana, as well as the former captain of the women’s team Sana Mir.
The remainder of the committee is made up of individuals who formerly served on the governing board, which was abolished in 2019.
The announcement further adds that Sharif’s order had been thoroughly reviewed by the Law and Justice Division and that it must now be authorised by the federal cabinet, which will take place on Thursday. In addition, the notification states that the approval process will take place on Thursday.
The notification was sent out a few hours after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the Test squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand, which is touring Pakistan after an absence of nineteen years.