LAHORE: Zaka Ashraf after being reinstated as the PCB chairman by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday said all appointments made and decisions taken by his predecessor Najam Sethi would be reviewed to determine their legality.

Talking to Dawn from the interior of Sindh where he received the news of his restoration by the IHC, Zaka said: “A good number of decisions and appointments have been made by the previous PCB set-up. I will review each one of them to decide if these were made on merit.”

Zaka did not file an appeal against his removal by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Feb 10. The prime minister then brought in Najam Sethi as the chairman.

Both prime minister and Sethi faced criticism as lovers of the game were against giving such an important and lucrative post to a journalist who also conducts a political show on a private TV channel.

Sethi had changed almost all members of the team management besides forming a new selection committee. He was severely criticised for bringing in some tainted ex-cricketers in the Board on important posts.

About his future strategy that how he would work with the prime minister, Zaka reiterated he wanted to work with the government wholeheartedly as he believed it was not possible to restore international cricket in Pakistan and run cricket in the country without its support.

Zaka said he had nothing against the prime minister and he just wanted to work under his guidance.

He hailed the decision of the IHC and said justice had been done.

Zaka said he would hopefully receive a copy of the court order on Monday and after that he would decide when he would join the PCB.

Meanwhile, Sethi also said he was yet to receive a copy of the order.

He however defended his performance and said he was trying to restore international cricket in the country and negotiations were under way to organise some international cricket in Lahore.

Sethi, who presided over the PCB management committee at the National Cricket Academy on Saturday, which proved his last meeting as the chairman, said he wanted to give the nation some good news from the PCB.

He added that he was not a party as the case at the IHC was between the government and the petitioner.

During his second tenure, which started on Feb 11, Sethi drafted a new PCB constitution and got its approval from the management committee on Saturday. But it will not be implemented now.

He also accepted the Big Three formula to support India, Australia and England, which Zaka had refused to acknowledge.

Sethi also blessed Moin Khan with three important posts — chief selector, manager of the Pakistan team and a member of the coach-finding panel.

He also formed an expanded six-member national selection committee, besides forming a three-member junior selection committee.

Former Test batsman Zaheer Abbas was also awarded with newly introduced posts, first as chief cricket consultant and then as special adviser to the PCB chairman.

Sethi also sacked 130 employees, among which 38 had also been restored by the IHC.

He also tried to revamp domestic cricket and had a plan to eliminate departmental cricket. He faced massive criticism from all quarters for that.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2014