Zaka Ashraf, after approximately six months in charge, stepped down from his position as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee. His involvement with PCB began on July 6, 2023, when he replaced Najam Sethi as the Management Committee’s chairman. During a committee meeting, Ashraf expressed his frustrations: “I was working for the betterment of cricket, but we can’t work this way.” He left the decision of his successor to Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar.
PCB’s Performance and Changes Under Ashraf
Pakistan’s cricket team, under Ashraf’s leadership, participated in the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup but failed to achieve notable success in either tournament. They did not reach the final in the Asia Cup and missed the semi-finals in the World Cup. Following these results, Babar Azam stepped down as captain across all formats, with Shan Masood and Shaheen Afridi taking over in Test and T20I, respectively.
The coaching staff, including then-director Mickey Arthur, was reassigned to the National Cricket Academy, leading to their subsequent resignations. Mohammad Hafeez became the team director, and Wahab Riaz was appointed head of the selection committee. However, the team has yet to secure a win under the new leadership, suffering a 3-0 Test series defeat to Australia and losing the first four T20I games in New Zealand.
