As the masses desperately await the general elections with the hope for economic stability with an elected government at the helm, so does our cricket.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been muddled with crisis, left, right, and centre, ever since the PDM-led government came into power in May 2022. The crisis is evident from the fact that PCB is witnessing a fifth change at the top in under 14 months as the board’s Election Commissioner, Shah Khawar, was appointed as the Chairman on Wednesday with the primary duty of holding the elections and forming the Board of Governors.
Meanwhile, the change took place just days after the Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi, was nominated by the Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar for the PCB’s Board of Governors in replacement of Zaka Ashraf and is likely to be the Chairman after the elections – which could be held before February 8.
But on the other hand, given the uncertainty of the system, one cannot expect the issue to get resolved even if the polls are on time. It is because the premier is the patron-in-chief of the PCB and the chairman under his nomination holds the coveted post. As our sports institutions – including cricket – are highly politicised, and so a change in the political setup has a spillover effect on the overall affairs.
