The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has recently informed the nation that the Interim Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has been elected unanimously and unopposed as 37th Chairman of the PCB for a three-year term. Meanwhile, Mr. Naqvi demonstrated utmost interest in the new position and assumed charge of the PCB’s Chairman on the very first day. The new board chairman held important meetings with the Chief Selector and Chief Operating Officer and discussed future plans to raise the morale of the team and steer Pakistan Cricket from the prevailing crises.
The white dove sat on the head of Mr. Naqvi after the Punjab government was dissolved last year that paved the way for his appointment as caretaker Chief Minister Punjab. Meanwhile, delimitation process and delay in election further prolonged his stay in Chief Minister house Lahore. After assuming responsibility of the Chief administrator, the Media Tycoon invested heavily in public work, renovated religious shrines, constructed roads and cemented streets along with serving family and friends. The political analysts were hoping for a big role for Naqvi in the next political setup because of his talent and links with bureaucracy. However, the man with no experience and least knowledge/ expertise in cricket management used his influence and secured the top job in the PCB. The former Chairman PCB Zaka Ashraf stepped down on January 19, whereas Naqvi was not only appointed as member governing body but made its Chairman in a short span of time.
It is the bad luck of Pakistan cricket that Mohsin Naqvi marks the fourth individual to hold the position of Pakistan Cricket Board chairman in the past four years, after Ramiz Raja, Najam Sethi and Zaka Ashraf. Pakistan is the sole nation in the world where no talent, expertise or professional skills are needed to reach top positions, just links with power corridors and relation with rulers is the only criteria in the country. Pakistan cricket faces serious challenges at domestic level in respect of on merit team selection, inter board rivalry and maintenance of code of conduct within the institution. The country faces serious challenges at the ICC, and could not host any major cricket event in the past two decades. Although Naqvi and his supporters have achieved their agenda, it is uncertain whether Pakistan cricket and cricket lovers will gain some vigor from this appointment or the status quo will prevail in the coming years.
