PCB chief Zaka Ashraf's tenure extended until end of ODI World Cup 2023

Anwar ul Haq Kakar, the PCB patron and Pakistan's acting prime minister, confirmed that Zaka Ashraf will remain in charge of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) till the conclusion of the ODI World Cup in India.

The tenure of the current Ashraf-led interim management committee overseeing the board was scheduled to conclude on November 5. Following a string of high-profile errors, such as a press release that blamed Babar Azam and Inzamam-ul-Haq, who had resigned as chief selector since then, and a controversy surrounding a leaked WhatsApp conversation between the captain and a senior PCB official, PCB’s future has been closely watched.

Members of the management committee, including Zulfiqar Malik and Mustafa Ramday, have lambasted Ashraf for his unimpressive decision-making and lack of action about holding board elections. In October, Malik submitted an email outlining his disapproval of PCB operations to Ashraf, other committee members, and the prime minister. Ramday has also expressed his displeasure with the manner the board has been operated. 

"At this time, you know there is a tournament going on. We'll look after this tournament what needs doing, what doesn't need doing. At this moment, I don't think we are going to make a big decision. The reason for that is that at times you have to work according to the doctrine of necessity. Once we are past the World Cup, then we'll see," Kakar told Dawn News.

The patron had two alternatives coming into this weekend: either select a new committee or extend the tenure of the existing old. The latter one was chosen. As interim prime minister, Kakar is also a patron of the PCB and is in charge of appointing the board's chairman.  

The doctrine of necessity, which Kakar referenced is associated with two judgements in Pakistan. A judgment by the chief justice in 1954 which authorized the deployment of extra-constitutional emergency powers, and the other one in 1977 authorized a military coup. Kakar made his remarks the day before Pakistan's crucial World Cup match versus New Zealand in Bengaluru. Notably, a defeat against the Kiwis would guarantee Pakistan's elimination from the competition.