PCB governing board members reject appointment of MD Wasim Khan

QUETTA: The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) 53rd Governing Council meeting in Quetta turned chaotic on Wednesday when an overwhelming majority of the Board of Governors rejected the appointment of Wasim Khan as managing director.

In a resolution written and signed by five of the seven BoG members, they demanded that MD Wasim Khan’s “appointment and the unconstitutional post of MD PCB be declared null and void.”

The members also rejected “any move to abolish departments and regions in the restructuring of domestic cricket” and demanded formation of a Domestic Cricket Restructuring Committee (DCRC) to draw up proposals for domestic restructuring, to be presented at a special BoG meeting on April 30 in Lahore.

The DCRC would comprise all four members of BoG representing four regions along with the departments, and “shall be headed by a regional president representing on the BoG as its chairman and shall be empowered to invite and seek views of stakeholders as and when required/needed.”

The resolution further stated that the “constitution of PCB shall be amended in the light of recommendations/proposals of the DCRC.”

“The BoG shall defer all the agenda items as circulated for 53rd meeting of BoG till a special BoG meeting is held and the recommendations/proposals of the DCRC are approved and ratified,” it added.

The resolution was signed by BoG members Numan Butt, Shahrez Abdullah Khan, Kabir Ahmed Khan, Shah Dost, and Ayaz Butt.

Speaking to media after the session, president of Sialkot Region Numan Butt claimed PCB chairman Ehsan Mani "lied" that the governing board had approved the appointment of Wasim Khan. 

"There is no room for the post of MD in the PCB's constitution," Butt added. 

Must not get derailed by personal agendas: Mani

Today’s meeting, the first-ever in Quetta, was adjourned for a later date due to an incomplete quorum, the PCB said in a press release issued after the session.

The meeting started with the members offering fateha for all those who lost their lives in a tragic incident in Quetta’s Hazarganji market as well as Naseem Khan, a first-class cricketer and a PCB coach, who recently passed away.

The meeting was then adjourned for a brief period pursuant to five members attempting to table a resolution, which was not part of the agenda, the board said in the press release.

PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani, who was in attendance, had proposed any business other than the agenda could be considered under “Any Other Items” at the end of the meeting. However, the Khan Research Laboratory (KRL) and the four regional representatives refused to return to complete the meeting, the press release added.

“I am hugely disappointed by today’s events as I was looking forward to an interactive, productive and constructive discussion, which was aimed at taking Pakistan cricket forward,” Mani said.

“Yesterday, we called on the honourable Chief Minister of Balochistan and engaged in fruitful and enlightening discussions to promote cricket in Balochistan. It is, therefore, particularly disappointing that the representative from Balochistan also refused to return for the BoG meeting.”

“We reaffirm our commitment to doing what is right for Pakistan cricket and once again becoming a strong force in the world game, and must not get derailed by personal agendas,” he added.