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Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja is considering resigning from his position in the wake of the ouster of Imran Khan as prime minister of the country, according to sources. Ramiz, who like Imran is also a former Pakistan captain, is presently in Dubai for the International Cricket Council (ICC) meetings which concluded on Sunday.
“Ramiz had only agreed to become the chairman of the Board on the insistence of Imran for whom all the players who played under his captaincy including Ramiz have a lot of regard and respect,” a source well aware of the developments said on Sunday. “Ramiz was well set in a career as commentator, TV personality and expert and was busy with assignments.
But on Imran's insistence he agreed to put aside all his media contacts and become chairman of the board,” the source said. “Ramiz had also made it clear to the PM that he would only remain in the Board until he (Imran Khan) was PM."
The source said that with Imran now ousted as PM, who is also Patron-in-Chief of the Board and directly nominates the chairman for a formal election process, it is highly unlikely Ramiz would stay on unless the new Premier wants him to carry on with his job.
Since Ramiz took over as PCB chairman last September he has made a lot of changes in the Board and also followed up on Imran's insistence on a domestic cricket structure based on just six first class provincial teams. Soon after taking charge, he made it clear to Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis that they were no longer required as head coach and bowling coach of the national team and should resign. He also asked the head of the high performance centre in Lahore, Grant Bradburn, and some other coaches to resign.
His biggest move was to create circumstances where Wasim Khan stepped down as CEO of the Board. Since then, Ramiz has brought in a new CEO but with Imran's government now gone, it remains to be seen what will happen to the new appointments in the Board as it is no secret that political changes also have a big bearing on Pakistan cricket set-up.
“ If Shahbaz Sharif becomes new Premier, then there is every likelihood he might convey to Ramiz his services are no longer required and bring back Najam Sethi to head the Board,” the source said. But, with no international or domestic commitments for the national team until June, changes in the Board will not affect cricket affairs. Sethi resigned soon after Imran won the last general elections as he never got along with the former captain on political issues.