Since 25th July the Bani Gala residence of newly elected Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, in Islamabad, has remained a hub of cricket politics. Imran Khan led Tehrik-i-Insaf won a nerve breaking political battle against corruption on that historic day.
As it became evident that TI has emerged as the largest party and Imran Khan would be the next prime minister of the country and inherit the self-assumed title of Patron-in-Chief of Pakistan Cricket Board, every known and unknown former cricketer ensured his presence at Bani Gala to personally congratulate Imran Khan, their former colleague and skipper.
They gave their suggestion to Imran Khan for bringing some drastic changes in the PCB. Some tried hard to save their friends in the PCB. Some suggested complete purge in the PCB.
Cricket circles and the passionate followers of the game knew that it would be hard for shrewd Najam Sethi to stick to his job which he had gained through maneuvering his services for the convicted former prime minister. Meanwhile, Seti had himself hinted that he would resign once Imran Khan takes oath as prime minister of Pakistan. “I shall quit the PCB with grace,” Sethi had vowed.
Nevertheless, I had opined in my previous article that Sethi and grace are two things apart. And in a last attempt his wife allegedly approached Ch. Pervaiz Elahi, the newly elected Speaker of the Punjab Assembly to save her husband’s job in the PCB.
Sources privy to Bani Gala insist that Sethi has become an undesirable person within the ranks of TI which has already demanded of the anti-graft agency to launch probe against him. It was alleged in a letter written by a PTI leader that Sethi was involved in corruption in the PSL due to which he wasn’t letting the PSL audit report to be made public. The sources also insist that not only Sethi would be sacked but a probe would also be initiated into his wrongdoings in the PCB and PSL.
The sources say that a race has already started among the former cricketers who visited Bani Gala as who would replace Sethi. Amid this situation the name of Ehsan Mani, a charted account and former president of the ICC, has been forwarded by the PCB mafia. For the PCB Mafia if Mani becomes the chairman it would be a blessing in disguise for them.They would continue to enjoy their jobs in the PCB.
The PCB mafia, led by Subhan Ahmed, is desperately lobbying and vehemently advocating for Mani through a close friend of Imran Khan. Apart from Mani’s business his Charted Accountancy firm is also looking after audits of Shaukat Khanam Memorial Hospital and Nimal University. It is also reported that years ago IK had also made him the chairman of Gulliyat Development Authority in KPK, to promote tourism.
Without any hatred towards Ehsan Mani, he is not a good choice to head the PCB. He is already preoccupied with his business engagements and would hardly find time for PCB. In such a situation the PCB mafia would continue to run the PCB and there would not be any tangible change in the Board which Imran Khan has vowed to bring in the whole country. We all need such positive change badly and cricket is not an exception.
The PCB doesn’t needs a charted accountant but a strong cricket administrator. The new chairman of the PCB should be a well-known figure in international cricket with an unflinching integrity. Above all he must have a proven record of management/administration as well. The new chairman of the PCB must be given mandate to revamp the whole Board – from the manager to the chief operating officer. Only then you can expect a real change in the PCB.