PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani's Extension Denied By Prime Minister Imran Khan

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has made a decision to not extend the current Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani’s term, according to a source. According to a report, Imran Khan is pondering over the appointment of a former cricketer as the PCB boss.

According to the PM, Mani failed to live up to the expectations and as a result, will be let go once his term ends on August 25. According to several speculations, former Pakistan player Ramiz Raja has emerged as the frontrunner to take over the helm at the PCB.

Sources have claimed that the PM believes an experienced cricketer like Ramiz can understand the scenario much better and can implement the methods based on the flow of modern cricket. The final decision will be taken in a couple of days by the PM.

Imran Khan is also a patron of the PCB and he can nominate two names to the country’s cricketing board. Although he hasn’t announced the names yet, the commissioner who will conduct the election of the PCB chairman has been made known. Former supreme court judge, Justice Sheikh Azmat was chosen by the Patron’s office to lead the proceedings.

“Cricket has been devastated at every level” – Former PCB Chair Najam Sethi on Ehsan Mani’s Domestic Structure Revamp

During Ehsan Mani’s tenure, the PCB had brought about major changes in the country’s domestic structure. The previous mix of regional and departmental cricket was scrapped, and a provincial-team model was introduced at Imran Khan’s behest.

This was met with widespread criticism, crushing several players’ livelihoods. However, the PCB made up for it by providing jobs at the administrative level and field level. Former PCB chairman, Najam Sethi, however, was distraught and called for Mani’s axing.

“People will forget the political failure of the Prime Minister, but will not forget the injustice done to cricket. The media will keep reminding him. It is not appropriate to shut down anything at once without a better alternative. They have shut down departmental and regional cricket and failed to provide an alternative. Cricket has been devastated at every level now,” Sethi had said.

So far, Mani has completed only three years and if he is re-elected, he will have to go through another process since a chairperson’s tenure cannot exceed more than six years.

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