The PCB has admitted that the endorsement of Zaka Ashraf for next four
years as chairman was processed through a "representation process" and
not purely a democratic process, but said it complied with the ICC's
recommendations. According to the amended constitution, the chairman is
still a nominated candidate, though one who is "endorsed" by ten elected
members in the Board of Governors.
In 2011, the ICC stipulated that its member boards become autonomous and
free of interference from governments by June 2013. Removal of
government interference had also been one of the Woolf report
recommendations approved by the ICC.
The PCB's 2007 constitution was then amended to change the method of
appointing the board's chairman and alter the structure of its governing
board. However, the process is still complicated, and the president of
Pakistan, who is the patron of the PCB, retains a central role in
appointing the chairman. Ashraf defended the transition as "fair and
transparent to prevent a malicious candidate to step up to take the
office".
"The new constitution complies with the recommendations made by the ICC
and has been accepted, appreciated and welcomed by the ICC," Ashraf told
a press conference at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. "It has been a
much-needed transition and a necessary step in ensuring the development
and better administration of the game of cricket. The key features of
the constitution were also discussed individually with the ICC president
and CEO and it fulfills the requirements of parameters laid down by
them. The PCB is fully compliant."
The PCB has been criticised in the past because its constitution allowed
the chairman almost dictatorial powers. The amended constitution hasn't
changed that. The chairman can control and oversee income and
expenditure in accordance with the budget approved by the board of
governors. The major shortcoming in the new constitution is that the
chairman has ultimate power with no recourse to remove him from the post
in any circumstances. Also, the incumbent can be nominated for more
than one term.
"The new constitution entrusts the board of governors [BoG] with greater
responsibility and the power to make regulations for the better
governance of the PCB. Previously, most rules had to be approved by the
federal government," said Ashraf who insisted that "the constitution has
been followed in letter and spirit and the PCB chairman has been
appointed through the process defined in the constitution."
The restructured 14-member body includes five elected regional
representatives picked on a rotation basis and five elected
representatives of service organisations and departments who have the
power of endorsement to the nominated chairman. The regions whose
representatives accepted Ashraf's nomination were: Peshawar, Islamabad,
Larkana and Dera Murad Jamali while the fifth spot is yet to be filled.
Punjab - which has 60% of Pakistan's population - doesn't have a
representative in the BoG as Ashraf said the regions within Punjab
hadn't completed their own elections yet.
The transition, however, was surprising and conducted secretly with the
PCB revealing the appointment through a press release, citing it as an
internal matter and not a public one. "This is a representative process,
that's why the word nominated as per process has been used (in the
constitution)," explained the PCB solicitor, Taffazul Rizvi. "There are
certain criteria which are defined in the constitution and the word
democracy has a wide range. The PCB election is different from the way
general elections are conducted."
It is understood that with the general election due on Saturday, a new
government could bring in a change in PCB hierarchy. With his future as
chairman uncertain, Ashraf implemented the new constitution and was
eventually elected for a new term.
"We had to implement the new constitution to meet the deadline given by
ICC," said Ashraf, to justify the abrupt move 72 hours before the
general election in the country. "It was expected and we were already
working on it from last many months. We didn't want to delay it, we have
to have the new constitution in place before June to satisfy the ICC
requirement."
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