LAHORE - Najam Sethi, the veteran journalist who was PCB chairman several times over the past year, is back in an influential role in the board. He was named the head of what is expected to be an all-powerful executive committee to control cricket affairs in Pakistan. The committee also includes the chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed and chief finance officer Badar Khan.
The three-man ExCo is set to be the sole recommendation committee on all major executive decisions in the PCB though the board chairman Shaharyar Khan will still be the ultimate signing authority. The PCB, however, has not divulged the ExCo's powers but it is understood that the committee will be holding the major chunk of power in the board. If that happens, it will be the first time the PCB's powers have been centred on the executive committee, as earlier the PCB chairman held the most power.
Sethi had been appointed and removed as PCB chairman several times as the board faced a governing crisis following a disputed PCB election in May 2013. Sethi was in line to become full-time chairman but had to step down on the objection of the Supreme Court. He was, however, named in the PCB governing board as a direct nomination by the prime minister of Pakistan, who is also patron of the PCB.
The governing board of the PCB was expected to be empowered following a revamp of the constitution last month but only Sethi has been added in the ExCo of the nine governing board representatives from various regions and departments.
In the meeting of the PCB board of governors chaired by Shaharyar Khan at National Cricket Academy in Lahore, the board approved the budget for the year 2014-15. "The BoG appreciated the efforts of PCB management to control expenditure and improved income, resulting in projected profits for the financial year 2014-15," a press release said. A cricket committee and a grassroots committee was also named. Regarding the Pakistan Super League, the country's proposed franchise-based Twenty20 tournament, the PCB decided to invite bidders for franchises for a meeting next week.