Zaka Ashraf quits as interim head of Pakistan cricket

The government’s inter-provincial coordination committee asked Ashraf to cancel a PCB management committee meeting in Karachi this week and stopped him from taking any major financial decisions.

FILE PHOTO: Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf. | Photo Credit: AP

Zaka Ashraf quit as the interim head of the Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday just days after the government stopped him from convening a meeting.

The government’s inter-provincial coordination committee asked Ashraf to cancel a PCB management committee meeting in Karachi this week and stopped him from taking any major financial decisions.

However, Ashraf convened an urgent meeting of the 10-member management committee in Lahore on Friday and announced he had quit.

“He (Ashraf) thanked members of the MC, the PCB management and staff for their support during this tenure,” the cricket board said in a statement. “Members of the MC and the PCB management expressed their gratitude to the Chairman MC for his leadership.”

Ashraf replaced Najam Sethi in July as chairman of the management committee. The government gave Ashraf until Feb. 4 to form a board of governors and organise an election of a PCB chairman but he failed.

The Pakistan men’s team endured below-par performances during Ashraf’s tenure. The team didn’t get out of the group stage at the Cricket World Cup in India, and didn’t pass the Super Four in the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.

Babar Azam resigned as the captain in all formats after the World Cup, and Ashraf asked team director Mickey Arthur and coach Grant Bradburn to report to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore before both foreign coaches eventually quit.

Under new test captain Shan Masood, Pakistan was routed by Australia 3-0. Twenty20 captain Shaheen Shah Afridi is trailing 4-0 in the five-match series in New Zealand with the last T20 to be played on Sunday.