‘Don’t want to be a bone of contention’ - Najam Sethi drops out of PCB chairmanship race

The interim chairman of the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) Najam Sethi recently took to Twitter to announce that he would be pulling out of the race to become the chairman of the PCB. He announced that he would not be seeking a permanent position on the board on Tuesday, June 20. 

It is worth noting that Sethi has been the interim chairman of the board since December 2022; he took over the position after disagreements between Ramiz Raja and the BoG (Board of Governors) over the future of the PSL (Pakistan Super League) made the former resign.

Taking to Twitter, Sethi wrote that he does not wish to be a bone of contention between Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif, as uncertainty in such matters could not be a good thing for the PCB. After announcing his decision, he also wished luck to the candidates still in the race.

"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 tweeted.

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 has been in position since December 2022, and his tenure is to end on June 21. Up until recently, it was believed that Sethi would continue as chairman of the cricketing board and that his interim position would be made permanent. However, the situation has changed in recent weeks.

Najam Sethi’s tweet came in light of the political dispute over the position of the PCB chairman. Shehbaz Sharif, the current Prime Minister of Pakistan, is also the patron of the PCB. On the other hand, Asif Ali Zardari of the Pakistan People’s Party is a coalition partner with the current government, and it is known that Zaka Ashraf is the party’s man for the post of PCB chief. 

In the six months of Sethi’s tenure, Pakistan Cricket has undergone numerous changes. One of the biggest changes would undoubtedly be the hiring of a predominantly foreign coaching staff, with Mickey Arthur as the side’s head coach and many other coaches in the support staff as well.