PCB chief accused of unconstitutional steps by own committee

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Zaka Ashraf has been accused of unconstitutional steps by the members of his own committee, reports said.

Cricket Board's Interim Management Committee, Mustafa Ramday and Zulfiqar Malik, who are sitting members of the incumbent PCB set-up, made the allegations.

Zaka's tenure is set to end on November 5, with the PM as patron of the PCB, set to determine whether to retain or replace Zaka.

"The [present] PCB chairman is allowed to deal with the day-to-day affairs but under this umbrella [of day-to-day affairs] a good number of appointments have been made in the PCB," Ramday told Pakistan's Dawn newspaper.

Zulfiqar, a member of the PCB Interim Management Committee from Sialkot, also wrote a letter to the PM, all members of the IMC and IPC secretary IPC raising objections over what he claimed were unconstitutional and wrongdoings being practised within the present PCB set-up.

The other allegations included ignoring directives to hold elections in order to replace the interim management setup, allowing his son to meddle in board affairs and misusing the PCB Election Commissioner's office to carry out political victimisation of opponents.

The appointment of Inzamam-ul-Haq, who is now resigned and several directors all come within breaches made by Zaka's management.

"The appointment of Chief Selector (Inzamam ul Haq, who has now resigned) for three years on hefty Rs 2.5 million pm (per month), appointment of several Directors, Consultants, officials, Scrutiny and other Committees, approval of various projects and budget, huge expenses on different heads, hiring of legal counsels on exorbitant rates and removal or sidelining some key officials fall in the categories of long term decisions in violation of the clear cut mandate of the MC.

"Turning deaf ears on IPC Ministry's directives… for holding Chairman election was the most serious violation that Zaka Ashraf and this MC committed," ESPNCricinfo quoted Zulfiqar as having written on the letter.

The PCB has said: "Every decision is taken according to the constitution. Any and all decisions have been taken to ensure day to day operations of the PCB continue unencumbered."