PCB makes administrative changes

After much delay, four new members have been appointed to the PCB's governing board, all of them elected representatives of regional cricket associations. They will remain on the board for two years.

The names of the four were recommended by Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, to President Asif Ali Zardari, the patron of the board. Major (retd) Naeem Akhtar Gillani, president of the Rawalpindi regional cricket association, replaced Shakil Sheikh, the influential president of the Islamabad cricket association.

Tariq Baloch, president of the Quetta regional cricket association, has been appointed in place of Mian Mohammad Munir who is president of the Multan association. Chaudry Mohammad Anwar, president of the Faisalabad cricket association, replaces Amir Hayat Rokhri, the heads of the Lahore cricket association and Mir Haider Ali Talpur, the Hyderabad cricket association president, has replaced Mohammad Ali Shah, president of the Karachi cricket association.

Shah and Shaikh are significant changes. The pair were staunch supporters of Butt, but have recently become his fiercest critics. The termination of both had been announced by the board sometime back, but they both appeared on TV claiming that until new members were officially appointed they remained members of the governing board.

As expected Ehsan Mani, the former ICC president, has not been appointed as a member. Reports were circulating locally that Mani's name had been recommended as well, but Mani had earlier told Cricinfo that he hadn't been contacted and would not take up the position if offered in any case.

There are currently seven members on the board, including a representative for the departments and associations of the domestic game. Ultimately, there will be between 13-15 members, including a number of technocrats as well as ex-players.