Speculation is rife that a lobby, led by former disgruntled members of the Board, has managed to launch a campaign to have Ramiz removed as PCB chief.
Ramiz Raja's stint as head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is poised to come to an end following the national team's Test series loss to England. Raja has been in charge since September 2021, having been appointed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
However, according to a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI), Raja's stint may be coming to an end, with previous chairman Najam Sethi slated to return to the top role. According to reports, Sethi recently met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at a gathering in Lahore.
"Yes, something is going on definitely. Rumors are strong that Najam Sethi who recently met with the premier at a function in Lahore might be called up to replace Ramiz as Chairman," a former member of the PCB told PTI.
Following Imran Khan's election as Prime Minister in 2018, Sethi resigned. When Sharif took office as Prime Minister of Pakistan earlier this year, it was expected that Raja's term would finish, but in an unusual turn of events, the ex-Pakistan cricketer continued his job despite the change in government.
The Pakistan Prime Minister is the board's patron, and the PCB's constitution specifies that Sharif has the authority to select candidates for the head of the country's cricket regulatory body.
According to the report, a lobby within the PCB has initiated a campaign to remove Raja from his position. The country's law ministry has requested a change in guard from Prime Minister Sharif.
The sources said that the secretary of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) has forwarded the summary regarding the changing of the chairman to the Prime Minister’s House, Geo News reported.
The Prime Minister can order the reinstatement of the 2014’s PCB constitution, added the sources.
Reports of Raja’s replacement as the PCB chairman circulated a few times, however, he rejected the claims and said that he is not going anywhere.
Former Pakistan captain and 1992 World Cup winner Raja was elected unanimously and unopposed as the PCB’s 36th chairman for a three-year term in September last year.
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