Islamabad : Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president and senior cricket official Ehsan Mani was elected Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman on Tuesday.
Mani, who was Prime Minister Imran Khan’s nominee for the post, was elected unopposed for a period of three years by a nine-member Board of Governors during a meeting at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
The chairman’s post had been lying vacant since the previous PCB chief, Najam Sethi, tendered his resignation last month.
Retired Justice Afzal Haider conducted the elections as election commissioner. The new PCB chairman is also expected to address a press conference.
Mani previously represented the PCB at the ICC, cricket’s governing body, as Treasurer for three years and later headed the body for another three years from 2003 to 2006.
He has also served on the Board of Governors of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust Hospital — a charity project of PM Khan — but on an honorary basis without withdrawing any salary.
Mani believes the PCB is in need of “a major overhaul”.
During an earlier interview with DawnNewsTV, Mani had said that if he was elected PCB chief, he would work on improving domestic cricket for which he had “short and long-term strategies”.
Speaking to Dawn, Mani had said: “We have to make a five-year plan besides focusing on school, college and club cricket.”
He also vowed to “wipe out” nepotism from the cricket body, a promise in line with the new government’s agenda.
“We will dig out the best talent in youngsters and will give them a chance to prove themselves at the international level,” he had said.
In order to “bring Pakistani cricket on the right path,” Mani said he would “take suggestions from [the country’s cricket legends”.
The former ICC president also pointed out that even though he had spent “55 years of [his] life abroad”, he only had “one passport and that is a green one”.
