Shah Khawar takes over as interim chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board

An advocate of Pakistan's Supreme Court was appointed on Wednesday as interim chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Shah Khawar, who is also election commissioner of the PCB, is expected to hold elections for the permanent position next month.

"My primary responsibility will be to hold the election in a free and transparent manner,” Khawar said in a statement.

Caretaker chief minister of Punjab province, Mohsin Naqvi, has emerged as favourite to be elected as the new chairman for a three-year term.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul-Haq Kakar, who is also patron of the national cricket board, appointed Naqvi to the board of governors after Zaka Ashraf quit last week due to personal reasons.

The PCB has been without an elected chairman since Ramiz Raja quit in December of 2022. Najam Sethi was appointed as chairman of the board's management committee before he quit and was replaced by Ashraf last July.

The government gave Ashraf until Feb. 4 to form a board of governors and organize an election for the chair of the cricket board, but he didn't achieve tht before resigning.

The Pakistan men’s team endured below-par performances during Ashraf’s tenure. The team didn’t get out of the group stage at the Cricket World Cup in India, and didn’t pass the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.

Babar Azam quit as the captain in all formats after the World Cup, and Ashraf asked team director Mickey Arthur and coach Grant Bradburn to report to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore before they both quit as well.

Under new test captain Shan Masood, Pakistan was routed by Australia 3-0 and Twenty20 captain Shaheen Shah Afridi lost the five-match series in New Zealand 4-1.