LAHORE: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sacked the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday — the second time in eight months that Zaka Ashraf was shown the door.

In May, a one-member bench of the Islamabad High Court had upheld a petition challenging his appointment as PCB supremo.

But Mr Ashraf was restored as PCB chief just 25 days ago after a bench of the same court overturned the previous verdict.

Nawaz Sharif also set up an eight-member committee to run the board. The body elected Najam Sethi, a serving journalist, as the new chairman. Strangely enough, the premier arrogated to himself the power of amending the PCB constitution to name the committee.

To add insult to injury, Mr Ashraf learnt about his unceremonious dismissal only by word of mouth at a book launch after having returned from Singapore just a few hours earlier.

However, he addressed the function as PCB chairman, but did not speak on his sacking and left the venue in a huff.

“I am considering moving the Supreme Court against the prime minister’s move,” Zaka Ashraf told a press conference.

“My guess is that the government took the decision because I did not support India at the ICC meeting two days ago.”

The International Cricket Council empowered India, Australia and England — the game’s “Big Three” — to run the game at a meeting in Singapore on Saturday. “Before going to Singapore for the ICC meeting, I had requested the prime minister to spare some time for me because I wanted to get his guidelines for the decisive vote, but in vain.”

The prime minister’s abrupt decision also came as a snub to a three-member committee which had been asked to pick the head coach and batting coach for the national side. The committee, comprising former greats Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram and Intikhab Alam, was slated to reveal its choice on Monday.

VIOLATION OF ICC CODE: Zaka Ashraf said at the press conference that the government’s interference in PCB’s affairs had reached a point that it was now flouting the ICC code, exposing Pakistan to a potential disciplinary action by the world body.

The international body adopted a law recently that requires all boards to have a set-up that is independent of the government. Violation of the law could even lead to suspension of a member from the ICC.

Najam Sethi was the first to reach the Qadhafi Stadium after issuance of the notification regarding his appointment. He was followed by Shaharyar Khan, the former diplomat and ex-chief of the PCB.

But as other members of the committee were not present at the stadium, which serves as the board’s headquarters, their consent was taken through e-mail and mobile phones to get Najam Sethi elected.

A formal meeting of the committee will be held on Tuesday to ratify the election of Mr Sethi. Sources said Shaharyar Khan was also in the running, but he met Mr Sethi on Monday and assured him of his support, meaning that he won’t be a candidate.

“The country now stands alone in the world of cricket because Zaka Ashraf was unable to present its case effectively on the “Big Three’s” powers at ICC’s meeting in Singapore,” Mr Sethi said while talking to journalists in the evening.

But when a journalist wanted to know what stand he would have taken had he attended the meeting, the new PCB chief refused to make any comment.