Banker Ashraf appointed PCB chairman

Thursday, 13 October 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday appointed noted banker Zaka Ashraf as chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board in place of Ijaz Butt.

In a notification issued late in the evening, Ashraf was named new chairman of the board, replacing Butt who completed his three-year tenure on 8 October.

Butt had returned from Dubai on Monday after attending the Executive Board meeting of the International Cricket Council. Ashraf is known as an ardent cricket follower who as president of the Zarai Taraqyati Bank (ZTBL) regularised jobs of cricketers in his bank. A senior board official confirmed that the government had issued a notification with regard to the appointment of the new PCB chairman but he had not seen it as yet. “Under the constitution any one appointed as chairman automatically has a three-year term,” chief operating officer Subhan Ahmad said. Ashraf is said to be a close friend of President Zardari as both studied together at Petaro College and stayed in the hostel. Ahmad said Butt attended office on Tuesday but left soon. “He was pre-occupied and left early. Indications were that he had been informed about the change by the Presidency,” Ahmad said.