LAHORE - Former presidents of the seven regional cricket associations from across the country have asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman M Zaka Ashraf to step down from the office as he has taken a number of unconstitutional decisions to put the regional bodies under ad-hoc set up and to harm the interest of the game at grass root level.
The representatives of the various bodies led by Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) president Khawaja Nadeem Ahmed and Multan region chief MPA Mian Munir Ahmad, Sialakot region chief Malik Zulfiqar, Abbottabad region chief Aamir Nawab, Faisalabad region chief Chaudhary Anwar while Prof Sirajul Islam Bokhari of Karachi region, Ali Haider Talpur of Hyderabad region and former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif joined them on phone and extend their all-out support to them to continue their struggle to safeguard the rights of the regional cricket bodies.
In a joint press conference here on Tuesday, they said the PCB chairman had taken a number of unconstitutional decisions to remain in power by sidelining the regional bodies as out of total 11, nine regional bodies were under ad-hoc arrangements. “Zaka’s election is dubious as he elected himself with the help of a governing board comprising paid employees of the board,” said Kh Nadeem who read out eight-point which focused that how the PCB chief denied the important role of regional bodies and eventually imposing ad-hoc on them.
The LCCA chief said it was the success of the cricket that majority of the high ups of the regional bodies had assembled at one plat form to raise their voice against the unconstitutional acts of the chairman. “During the past one and half years, different tactics were used to ignore the regional bodies and their importance and role in the development of cricket at early level. Then the stage came when the rights of the regional bodies were crushed by imposing ad-hoc on them which was an unconstitutional act,” he added.
Mian Munir said it was for the first time in the history of cricket that the PCB put ad-hoc on majority of the regional bodies which was an alarming sign. “The present chairman have overlooked the duly elected representatives of the regional bodies and his recent decisions aim at taking full control of cricket associations working across the country,” he said.
Malik Zulfiqar said they would stage sit in, in front of Gaddafi Stadium and all the major cricket stadiums all over the country to register their protest against the ongoing negative campaign of the PCB against the regional bodies.
Aamir Nawab called for introducing democracy in the board by giving the due and legal right of the regional bodies in the board of governors. “If no attention is paid to resolve our genuine problems we will be left with no option but to seek justice from the ICC and the ACC. Anwar said the present regime of the PCB had destroyed the smooth working of the regional bodies by replacing them with ad-hoc set up.
Prof Sirajul Islam, Ali Haider Talpur and Rashid Latif fully endorsed the stance of the representative of the regional bodies and assured their full support. “It is the high time that the PCB chairman while respecting the mandate of the regional cricket associations should resign and due representation be given to the regional bodies in the PCB governing board to end the present crisis,” he added.