HYDERABAD: Arshad Ali Qureshi has been notified as the elected president of Regional Cricket Association (RCA) Hyderabad by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday, according to a copy of notification received here on Monday.

Arshad was elected unopposed on July 11 when his main rival, Jan Mohammad Wassan withdrew in his favour. “Yes I withdrew in favour of Arshad Qureshi following understanding reached between us and now he is our candidate,” said Jan Wassan, the president of District Cricket Association (DCA) Sanghar.

Cricket sources told Dawn that Jan’s withdrawal followed a political move initiated in Benazirabad district which is Qureshi’s hometown. Qureshi was being backed by cricket organisers of Hyderabad including Rahat Ali Shah, Hameed Pirzada, secretary DCA Benazirabad and Shakeel Qureshi, former president DCA Hyderabad and others.

Wassan, on the other hand enjoyed the backing of a group led by Mir Haider Talpur, ex-RCA Hyderabad president and Abdul Hussain Shah, a sacked PCB official.“We have decided to work jointly with Zia Lanjar of Benazirabad after an understanding and that’s why Jan Mohammad Wassan withdrew in Qureshi’s favour,” said Mir Haider.

He expressed hope that there would be no dispute in RCA Hyderabad now and things would move smoothly.

Other candidates who were in the race were Ahmed Ali Baloch from Thatta and Shahnawaz Lakhmir from Benazirabad who had already withdrawn in favour of Qureshi while the candidature of Hameed Pirzada was rejected.

PCB announced polls after unseating president Mir Suleman Talpur on May 17. “After two consecutive terms the candidates will not be elected from the same district,” the PCB had said. Mir Haider from Hyderabad had already completed two consecutive terms.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2014