LAHORE: Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Najam Sethi on Monday withdrew his nomination for ICC presidency, requesting a former cricketer from the country to take his place as per the demand of world cricket’s governing body.

Sethi was due to take the largely ceremonial one-year post as ICC chief after its meeting in Barbados later this month but wrote on Twitter: “I have decided to step aside from ICC presidency. I request the PCB to nominate a great ex-Test cricketer for this position.”

After the last ICC meeting in the UAE, PCB chief Shaharyar Khan disclosed that the ICC had decided to allow a member country, on its turn, to recommend the name of a former Test cricketer for the presidency.

“I told them that the PCB had already recommended Najam Sethi for the post and the ICC told me that after Pakistan’s turn, a cricketer will be recommended,” Shaharyar had said then

It is believed Sethi’s withdrawal isn’t his own wish but it comes due to two lobbies working inside the PCB — one led by him and the other by Shaharyar.

During his time as PCB chief, Sethi had hired some new officials to form his own corner and they fear that once he joins the PCB, they will be at Shaharyar’s mercy.

Other sources said that the ICC also has reservations over Sethi about his journalism career, which he continued despite being PCB chief. “With Sethi’s decision it is likely that infighting between the two lobbies will continue and ultimately the game will suffer,” sources said.

Currently the post is vacant as Mustafa Kamal from Bangladesh tendered his resignation in protest to what he alleged biased umpiring in a World Cup match against India costing his side.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2015

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