Will Pakistan Elections Affect PCB Setup? (5 Feb 1997)

5 February 1997

Will results affect PCB setup?

By Our Sports Reporter

KARACHI, Feb 4: After the landslide victory of PML (N) in the general elections, a major reshuffle is most likely to take place in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hierarchy.

The present President of the PCB, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah Bokhari, who won a National Assembly seat for PPP from Jhang in 1993, was not one of the contestants this time as PML (N) virtually made a clean sweep of the Jhang constituency with only one seat going to an independent candidate.

The Treasurer of the PCB, Salman Taseer, who won the National Assembly PPP seat in 1993 from Lahore II, crashed to defeat by 35,178 votes in NA-93 as he could get only 27,887 votes as compared to PML (N) Mian Abdul Waheed who secured 63,065 votes.

The two PCB officials were political appointees during Benazir Bhutto`s government whose Pakistan People`s Party (PPP) failed to find a firm footing in the current elections. It will not be out of context to mention here that the President of Pakistan is the Patron of the PCB and the two top posts are honorary jobs while the Chief Executive is a paid one.

The Chief Executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Majid Khan, who succeeded Arif Abbasi about eight months ago, may also be under pressure. His family sources in Lahore confirmed that he is already in Islamabad.

In the background as to what happened after three general elections of 1988, 1990 and 1993 and the changes thereafter in the cricket board offices, the analysts believe that the new government will also follow in the traditions of the previous rulers.

After PPP`s 1988 victory, Lt Gen (Retd) Zahid Ali Akbar was made BCCP President while Arif Abbasi was appointed Secretary.

Nevertheless, when PML (N) came into power in 1990, Arif Abbasi made way for Shahid Rafi in 1991.

But when PPP came into powers again after October 1993 elections, the officials of the then BCCPQthe then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Dr Nasim Hasan Shah, and Shahid Rafi, Chairman, Pakistan Television (President and Secretary respectively), had to leave the posts and that too at a time when the then BCCP General Body dinner was taking place at a five-star hotel in Lahore on Jan 12.

Chief Justice (Retd) Nasim Hasan Shah`s board was superseded by a three-member ad hoc committee (Javed Burki, Arif Abbasi and Dr Zafar Altaf).

The officials of the renamed PCB were appointed in March 1995 with Arif Abbasi as its first paid Chief Executive.

Soon after the World Cup, Arif Abbasi`s contentious appointment in the eyes of his rivals came to an end when he was replaced by former Pakistan captain and renowned cricketer Majid Khan who was then the Director of Sports in Pakistan Television.

Cricket observes do not rule out the possibility of a change in the current setup of the PCB.

Hasib Ahsan, former chairman of selectors, said it was a great change in political front that Mian Nawaz Sharif came into power with such an overwhelming majority. "Not only the bigger province has supported him, smaller ones have also thrown their weight behind him. It now depends on him to carry the objectives of all," Ahsan said.

Ahsan endorsed Nawaz Sharif`s claims of accountability but added accountability should also be done in cricket especially in connection with the World Cup where several lucrative contracts were awarded to favourite people. "Those responsible for throwing away the money in cricket should also be penalised and Nawaz Sharif is the right man to do the job."

Ahsan said changes in the PCB may be imminent. "I personally feel that reshuffling will start in the next few months.

"It`s time that Chief Justice (Retd) Nasim Hasan Shah`s dented reputation be restored by appointing him to serve as PCB chief for one term. Similarly, Shahid Rafi should also be given a chance to continue his good job which was broken in 1994. After all, time has proved that most of his decisions, including the appointment of Wasim Akram, who now lead the team after four captains were tried," Ahsan concluded.

Razaullah Khan, a former BCCP Councillor and a balanced critic, emphasised that changes should be made. "The cricket picture tells a very sorry story. No doubt the team has been winning, we have been losing at many fronts," observed Razaullah.

Razaullah said Majid Khan has failed to come upto expectations "as he badly failed as an administrator." He added domestic cricket was in shambles, cricket board was confined to just a single zone and World Cup accounts were yet to be settled.

"Mian Nawaz Sharif is a keen cricketer and he has come through a democratic process, he should enforce democracy in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) where there should be representation of all the provinces," Razaullah said.

Source :: Dawn (https://xiber.com/dawn)