Najam Sethi, the interim chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has decided not to seek a permanent position as PCB chairman.
Sethi cited his reluctance to become a point of contention between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) president, Asif Zardari, and the Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif. As a result, Sethi withdrew from the race, clearing the way for Zaka Ashraf to potentially assume the position of PCB chairman.
In a late night tweet, Sethi said: "Salaam everyone! I don't want to be a bone of contention between Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif. Such instability and uncertainty is not good for PCB. Under the circumstances, I am not a candidate for chairmanship of PCB. Good luck to all stakeholders."
This development could have implications for upcoming cricket events such as the Asia Cup and the ICC World Cup. The situation arose because both parties in the ruling coalition government, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party, had nominated their own candidates for the chairman's position.
The PPP supported Zaka Ashraf, arguing that Sethi had been appointed as chairman of the cricket management committee to oversee PCB affairs, conduct fresh elections and reinstate the 2014 constitution. They claimed it would be a conflict of interest if Sethi participated in the elections.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), had indicated that Sethi would continue in the position.
It is worth noting that Sethi and Zaka Ashraf had previously competed for the chairman's position in court in 2013/14, with Sethi ultimately emerging as the victor with the support of his party.
(With agency inputs)
