PCB set to appoint Najam Sethi as chairman again as Pakistan's ludicrous drama continues

The Pakistan Cricket Board is set to undergo a fresh set of changes again as the whirlwind of their political saga takes another toll on cricket.

A new day brings new drama in Pakistan and the PCB is set to appoint Najam Sethi back as the chairman. Just two months after Zaka Ashraf took charge as the new PCB chairman, it looks likely that he may have to relinquish his position.

And it is reported that Najam Sethi, who was replaced by Zaka Ashraf, is set to make a return to the helm.

Why Zaka Ashraf is set to be removed as PCB chairman?

Zaka Ashraf will have to give away his post as the Pakistan Election Commission has ordered the Shehbaz Sharif government to remove all politically appointed personnel.

It can be noted that all of PCB chairpersons are politically appointed by the Prime Minister. The Pakistan PM has the right to nominate a person in the PCB supremo post and Ashraf came in recently only as a caretaker PCB chairperson, but his stint is set to be curbed quite soon.

PCB change can create Problems

Another change in PCB can have a detrimental effect on the prospect of them tying down the players with a central contract. So far the players have denied to sign a contract citing various reasons.

One of the concerns for the players is instability in PCB and more tweaks will only heighten those concerns. Also, Pakistan is set to co-host Asia Cup 2023 and will host 4 matches. Hence any change amidst the Asia Cup can be chaotic.

Also Zaka Ashraf made a visit to Sri Lanka recently and met Babar Azam and co. He reportedly had an amicable talk with the players and now the return of Sethi can stall the positive exchanges and the contract uncertainty will loom large.

Pakistan players are currently playing without a contract for the last two months and it is to be seen how the latest change will affect the players and Pakistan cricket.

PCB Chairman in the Last Few Years

There have been numerous changes at the PCB helm in recent years. The baton for the chairman post has passed quite regularly in recent years and if Najam Sethi comes back again, he will be the PCB chairman for the third time in six years.

Najam Sethi (Aug 2017 to Aug 2018)

Ehsan Mani (Aug 2018 to Aug 2021)

Ramiz Raja (Sep 2021 to Dec 2022)

Najam Sethi (Dec 2022 to June 2023)

Zaka Ashraf (July 2023 to Present)