Najam Sethi Expected To Return As PCB Chairman After Ouster Of Imran Khan As Pakistan PM - Reports

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has apparently been affected by the winds of change after Prime Minister and Patron of the board Imran Khan was ousted from power through a vote of a no-confidence motion, as it is expected that Najam Sethi will return as PCB chairman, replacing Ramiz Raja.

Imran Khan, who became the 22^nd Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2018, faced a no-confidence motion which culminated in a constitutional crisis and his removal from power. He thus became the first Pakistan PM in the country’s history to be unseated by a parliamentary revolt.

Sources, as reported by Cricket Pakistan, have signalled that this also means a change is expected at the PCB as well, as the current chairman Ramiz Raja was appointed by Imran Khan himself and now with no backing from the former PM, Raja is expected to make way for Najam Sethi.

Najam Sethi Has Been Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Thrice

According to sources, Najam Sethi’s chances of another innings as the cricket board chairman are bright while it is likely that the current head Ramiz Raja will resign by himself very soon. As history suggests, change is mandatory after a switch in power. Najam Sethi has close ties with the opposition leader and potential new Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Sethi, 73, is himself keen on returning as the PCB chief and preliminary talks have already been started. He had first served as the chairman in 2013, but had to resign due to a legal battle with Chaudhry Muhammad Zaka Ashraf. He returned to charge in 2014 but Shahryar Khan was named chairman and Sethi was given the charge of the powerful executive committee. Behind the scenes, he had the main powers.

He then returned to power in 2017 but then stepped down when Imran Khan became the Prime Minister and announced his successor, former ICC President Ehsan Mani, as the new head of the cricket board.

Amongst other things that can happen is the return of the old domestic system under the new government. In the system created at the behest of Imran Khan, the departments were abolished and domestic cricket was limited to six associations, which left thousands of cricketers unemployed.

Many players and officials have been forced to drive away from the game and look to do other work. So far, no improvement has been seen in the domestic system. Expect many changes to Pakistan cricket in the coming months, reported Cricket Pakistan.

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