EW DELHI: In a major blow to
Pakistan Cricket
, the board chairman
Zaka Ashraf
on Friday announced his decision to resign.
Ashraf announced his decision to step down after chairing a managing committee meeting in Lahore.
Ashraf took the
PCB
chief role from Najam Sethi in July last year.
The government’s inter-provincial coordination committee had asked
Ashraf
to cancel a PCB management committee meeting in Karachi this week and stopped him from taking any major financial decisions.
However, Ashraf convened an urgent meeting of the 10-member management committee in Lahore on Friday and announced he had quit.
“He (Ashraf) thanked members of the MC, the PCB management and staff for their support during this tenure,” the cricket board said in a statement. “Members of the MC and the PCB management expressed their gratitude to the Chairman MC for his leadership.”
Ashraf replaced Sethi as chairman of the management committee. The government gave Ashraf until Feb. 4 to form a board of governors and organize an election of a PCB chairman but he failed.
The Pakistan men’s team endured below-par performances during Ashraf's tenure. The team didn't get out of the group stage at the Cricket World Cup in India, and didn't pass the Super Four in the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.
Babar Azam
resigned as the captain in all formats after the World Cup, and Ashraf asked team director
Mickey Arthur
and coach Grant Bradburn to report to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore before both foreign coaches eventually quit.
Under new test captain
Shan Masood
, Pakistan was routed by Australia 3-0. Twenty20 captain
Shaheen Shah Afridi
is trailing 4-0 in the five-match series in New Zealand with the last T20 to be played on Sunday.
(With inputs from AP)
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