By Zainab Shafiq 
In a move to address alleged financial irregularities during the tenure of the PCB Management Committee led by Najam Sethi, the federal government has written a letter to the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) requesting an audit of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Additionally, the AGP has been asked to conduct an audit of the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.
Concerns were raised regarding unnecessary expenditures by the PCB Management Committee, prompting the federal government to take action. Last year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed a 14-member committee to strengthen the 2014 constitution and reintroduce departmental cricket. Initially, the committee was given 120 days to restore the 2014 constitution, but a two-month extension was granted to Sethi and his team, which concluded on June 20.
The elections for the new chairman of the PCB were scheduled to take place on June 27 at the PCB headquarters in Lahore. However, the process was postponed due to a stay order issued by a two-member bench of the Balochistan High Court. Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Amir Nawaz halted the elections until July 17, considering the upcoming Eid-ul-Adha holidays and the court’s two-week summer vacation. The court will resume proceedings and hear arguments on July 17.
All parties involved, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination, and the PCB Chairman nominee Zaka Ashraf, were issued notices in response to a petition filed by former member of the PCB management committee, Gul Mohammad Kakar. The petition seeks to challenge the elections for the PCB chairman. The petitioners have requested the court to suspend the elections and halt the activities of the Board of Governors (BoG) until a verdict is reached on their petitions. They argue that the formation of the BoG went against the nominations of the previous management committee, rendering any subsequent meeting and the election of the PCB chairman illegal.
The audit of the PCB and PSL, along with the ongoing legal proceedings, reflects the commitment to transparency and accountability in Pakistan cricket. The aim is to ensure fair and proper governance within the PCB, safeguarding the interests of the sport and its stakeholders.
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