Najam Sethi, the chairman of the PCB management committee, has decided to withdraw his candidacy for the chairmanship of the cricket board. He expressed concerns about potentially becoming a point of conflict between the coalition government partners, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
In a tweet on Tuesday, Sethi announced his decision, stating that he did not wish to contribute to the instability and uncertainty surrounding the board. He specifically mentioned his desire to avoid becoming a source of contention between PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
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.
— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) June 19, 2023
Sethi had previously expressed reluctance to get involved in the controversy a few days ago, stating that the appointment of the PCB chairman depended on the patron, who is Prime Minister Shehbaz. He affirmed his willingness to accept any decision made by the Prime Minister.
The appointment of the PCB chairman has become a point of disagreement between the ruling coalition government’s PPP and PML-N. The PPP advocates for the return of former PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf, citing the ministry’s relation to the Inter-Provincial Coordination Division, which is headed by their minister. On the other hand, the PML-N wants Sethi to continue in his role at the PCB.
Sethi’s decision to withdraw from the candidacy aims to prevent further conflict and foster stability within the cricket board.
