Shaharyar Khan took over from Gen Tauqir Zia as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board in December 2003 at a time its reputation was low after widespread allegations of nepotism and financial mismanagement. He immediately undertook a purge of the board, and it emerged from that in more robust health and with a clean bill of health. In 2004 he appointed Bob Woolmer as the national coach, and it proved a successful appointment, ending a seemingly constant series of changes and providing much-needed stability.

However, he trod a difficult path on the international stage at a time India's influence was on the increase, and his tenure was ended in October 2006, two months before his contract was due to expire anyway, after he was accused if failing to handle the players with enough authority at the time of the Darrell Hair-Oval crisis. It was ironic that his dismissal was triggered by Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf, the same man who had appointed him in the first place.

He came to the job after a distinguished political career. He had a spell as Pakistan's foreign secretary, and was also an ambassador and a high commissioner between 1957 and 1994 and managed the national side successfully to India in 1999 and the World Cup in 2003. He comes from a large sporting family. The senior Nawab of Pataudi was his uncle, and the junior Nawab - Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi - is his first cousin.
Martin Williamson October 2006