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Tag: Najam Sethi

  • Najam Sethi appoints Haroon Rasheed as the new chief selector of Pakistan men’s cricket team

    Najam Sethi appoints Haroon Rasheed as the new chief selector of Pakistan men’s cricket team

    Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management committee Najam Sethi on Monday announced the appointment of men’s national team chief selector, Haroon Rasheed, who is a former Test cricketer.

    Haroon represented Pakistan in 23 Tests and 12 ODIs and was also a member of Shahid Afridi-led selection committee appointed only for the home series against New Zealand.

    Haroon Rasheed also served as national men’s team chief selector in 2015 World Cup. He was also the manager of the Pakistan Cricket Team from 2003 to 2005.

    In a press conference, Najam Sethi said, “I think Haroon is the best man for this job. I have worked with him. He is a competent individual and I have given him a free hand to make his team and take decisions.”

    PCB reportedly wanted Afridi to continue as the chief selector; however, the former all-rounder refused a permanent role, citing personal commitments.

  • ‘Do not ask for free PSL tickets’; Najam Sethi is done with freeloaders

    ‘Do not ask for free PSL tickets’; Najam Sethi is done with freeloaders

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Najam Sethi on Friday requested his friends and high-ups to not ask for free tickets and passes for Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches.

    “I am making a personal request to all friends and high-ups NOT to ask for free tickets/passes to PSL matches starting next month. The Public Accounts Committee of National Assembly that audits PCB has warned us to desist from this practise,” tweeted Sethi.

    “I am also requesting friends and high-ups not to do sifarish for selection of any player or coach, etc, or to give employment or facilitation to any undeserving person. PCB competes with top professional organisations in the world and cannot afford to be inefficient,” he added.

    HBL PSL 8 will begin on February 13 with an opening ceremony at Multan Stadium.
    “The HBL PSL 8 will be a massive event for the PCB, taking place at the four iconic venues with the world’s best T20 cricketers in action. We aim to make the HBL PSL bigger, better and stronger than ever before with the overarching ambition to make it the first-choice event for leading T20 cricketers,” said Sethi.


    Each of the six sides will go into PSL 8 with much at stake. Islamabad United will aim to become the most successful team with three titles, Lahore Qalandars will attempt to become the first side to win back to back titles and the remaining four teams will once again attempt to lift the trophy. The tournament will be spread over 34 matches.

  • PSL-like first women’s league to be held in September

    PSL-like first women’s league to be held in September

    The Women’s League will no longer be a part of the 2019 Pakistan Super League, according to the management committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which is chaired by Najam Sethi.


    The first Women’s Super League, which will be conducted as a distinct event from the PSL, has been scheduled for September this year by the PCB.
    There will be separate bids for each of the five franchise teams in the women’s league.


    World-class female cricketers have already expressed interest in taking part in the PCBs tournament.


    Earlier, In October Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had announced the launch of a women’s T20 league modelled along the lines of Pakistan Super League (PSL). The inaugural edition was expected to run alongside PSL 2023.

  • PCB appoints Shahid Afridi as chief selector for New Zealand series

    PCB appoints Shahid Afridi as chief selector for New Zealand series

    Former captain Shahid Afridi will head the new interim selection committee for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the latest change since the team was thrashed by England.

    Ramiz Raja was removed as head of the PCB on Thursday, and a 14-member management committee took over.

    Before selecting Afridi, the main committee, led by the former chairman Najam Sethi, also sacked chief selector Mohammad Wasim.

    According to the PCB, former players Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar were also nominated selectors. The changes follow Pakistan’s first-ever 3-0 home whitewash by England this month.

    Announcing Afridi’s appointment, PCB Management Committee chief Najam Sethi tweeted: “I welcome the interim Men’s National Selection Committee and have no doubts that, despite limited time, they will make brave and bold decisions that will help us produce a strong and competitive side in the series against New Zealand.”

    “I feel honoured to have been assigned this responsibility,” said Afridi, who retired from international cricket in 2017. “We need to get back to our winning ways and I have no doubts that through meritocratic and strategic selection decisions, we will help the national side to perform.”

    In a career marked by his hard-hitting batting, Afridi represented Pakistan in 27 Tests, 398 one-day matches, and 99 Twenty20 matches.

    A two-match Test series between Pakistan and New Zealand is underway, with the first game taking place in Karachi on Monday.

  • Ramiz Out: PM approves Najam Sethi’s appointment as chairman PCB

    Ramiz Out: PM approves Najam Sethi’s appointment as chairman PCB

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has approved Najam Sethi’s appointment as chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Geo News has reported.


    The official notification of the appointment will be issued later.

    Najam Sethi served in 2013 as head of PCB. However, he faced a legal battle with Chaudhry Muhammad Zaka Ashraf, another former chairperson of PCB. He later took up the position again in 2014 but Shahryar Khan replaced him and Sethi was given the charge of the executive committee.

    In 2017, he was appointed again as PCB chairperson but after one year he soon gave up his position in 2018.

    Najam Sethi was the person who launched the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2016 and was the president of PSL at that time.


    This is a developing story.

  • Govt to remove PCB chairman Ramiz Raja after seven months

    Govt to remove PCB chairman Ramiz Raja after seven months

    The new government has reportedly decided to remove Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja from his position.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif himself will recommend two names for the governing board soon, states Geo News’ sources.

    Previously, it was reported that the PCB chairman had directed the directors and the staff to focus on work. Raja said, “I have been told to continue working, so now the uncertainty should end.”

    It is pertinent to mention that there were media reports that suggested that Raja is likely to quit following the defeat of former PM Imran Khan in a no-confidence motion and former PCB chairperson Najam Sethi is expected to hold the position again as the next PCB chairman.

    Former Captain Ramiz Raja was elected unanimously as the 36th PCB chairman for a three-year term in September 2021.

    




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    Who will be next PCB chairperson after Ramiz Raja resigns?
    
			
    Who will be next PCB chairperson after Ramiz Raja resigns?
    
			
    

    The incumbent Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairperson Ramiz Raja is likely to quit from the position following the defeat of Former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a no-confidence motion on Sunday, reports SAMAA.
    




     Former Captain Ramiz Raja was elected unanimously as the 36th PCB chairman for a three-year term in September 2021. 
    




    According to a report by Cricket Pakistan,  Ramiz Raja is currently in Dubai for the International Cricket Council (ICC) board meeting. During the meeting, he shared his proposal for a four-nation T20 series ( Pakistan, India, Australia, England) which is rejected because it could not fit in the next media cycles due to the packed Future Tour Program (FTP). 
    




    However, Ramiz Raja expressed his satisfaction with how the meeting underwent through his Twitter account.
    




    


    




    




     News reports claim that Ramiz is expected to quit his office and former PCB chairperson Najam Sethi is expected to become the next head of PCB. 
    




    Najam Sethi served in 2013 as head of PCB. However, he faced a legal battle with Chaudhry Muhammad Zaka Ashraf, another former chairperson of PCB. He later took up the position again in 2014 but Shahryar Khan replaced him and Sethi was given the charge of the executive committee. 
    




    In 2017, he was appointed again as PCB chairperson but after one year he soon gave up his position in 2018.
    




    Najam Sethi was the person who launched the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2016 and was the president of PSL at that time.
    




     
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Pakistan cricket fights back…hard
    
			
    

    Pakistanis are on a high these days after Pakistan cricket team’s three consecutive wins at the T20 World Cup. Pakistan is on the top in their group with three out of three wins against India, New Zealand and Afghanistan. We still have to play the remaining two matches against Namibia and Scotland next week (November 2 and 7) before the semi-finals.
    




    Pakistan cricket team broke its jinx by beating India for the first time in a World Cup match. And what a win it was! We restricted the India side to just 151 runs and we chased the score without losing a single wicket. The second match against New Zealand was even more special as this had come after the team pulled out of its tour to Pakistan last month.
    




    In September, cricket fans across Pakistan were heartbroken after New Zealand’s disappointing decision to abandon the Pakistan series over “security threats” just minutes before the first One-Day International (ODI) match was about to begin in Rawalpindi. Following New Zealand’s unilateral decision, England also decided to cancel their men’s and women’s teams’ tour to Pakistan in October. New Zealand was to play in Pakistan after almost 18 years while England’s men have not played an international match in Pakistan since 2005 and their women’s team were to visit the country for the first time.
    




    It was not just the cricket fans who were disappointed; apart from the huge financial loss to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) because of these cancellations, it must have affected the Pakistan cricket team as well. After the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2009, Pakistan has had to play their ‘home series’ away from home for many years. Cricket came back to Pakistan due to the efforts of Najam Sethi and others at the PCB.
    




    We Pakistanis criticise our team a lot when they don’t perform well but we need to understand what our players have been through for more than a decade now. They have been away from their families for months on end due to home series in the UAE; they have had to rebuild the team after the 2010 spot-fixing scandal; Pakistanis are kept out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to political reasons; and they have had to face discrimination in cricket because of India’s influence at the International Cricket Council (ICC) – Pakistan does not get enough bilateral series and enough international matches to compete with other teams. Under such difficult circumstances, our team has won the ICC Champions Trophy, ruled the Test rankings, made the Pakistan Super League (PSL) a huge international success and much more. We are proud of our Men in Green. They have cheered us up in the most depressing of times. Pakistan Zindabad.
    




    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Shahid Masood apologises to Najam Sethi for ’35 puncture’ allegations
    
			
    

    Anchorperson Dr Shahid Masood apologised to senior journalist Najam Sethi on his political talk show ‘Live with Dr Shahid Masood’ on Gourmet News Network (GNN) for making baseless allegations a few years ago.
    




    


    




    Masood on his show stated that he would like to apologise to Sethi for making baseless allegations against him. Masood had used the phrase ’35 puncture’ and had alleged that Sethi rigged the 2013 general elections and helped Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) when he was caretaker chief minister Punjab.
    




    “I got the information through a man whom I didn’t expect would say such a thing. Later, I tried searching for that man but he disappeared and could not be found,” said Shahid Masood.
    




    Accepting that his accusations were wrong, Masood apologised for his false claims. 
    




    Later during the programme, Masood expressed his desire to have tea at Sethi’s residence when he visits Lahore next. 
    




    He claimed that just like Najam Sethi’s chiriya (sparrow), he too has a kabootar (pigeon).  
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Gen Bajwa ‘summoned’ PTI ministers, ‘advised’ replacing Punjab, KP CMs: journalist
    
			
    

    Senior journalist Najam Sethi has claimed that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa recently “summoned” six cabinet ministers of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and put forth three topics for “some plain talking”.
    




    While the veteran journalist did not name the ministers, according to him, the PTI government’s “abysmal performance” was discussed as what was hurting the image of the military and other bigwigs.
    




    Sethi claimed that removal of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief ministers (CMs), and the need for the federal government to constitute a more efficient and credible team “at least for putting the economy on track”, was also discussed. 
    




    “Time’s running out, he implied darkly,” the journalist claimed in his The Friday Times editorial.
    




    “As a consequence of such ‘advice’, Imran Khan has blithely sacked Nadeem Babar and Hafeez Shaikh, even though he was lauding their singular expertise not so long ago. Indeed, he had pitched Mr Shaikh to the Senate so that he could continue as full-fledged minister of finance.”
    




    He further wrote, “Some more chopping and changing is on the cards. But given Imran Khan’s track record of picking his political teammates, we shouldn’t expect any qualitative improvement in performance.”
    




    Sethi also opined that change in Punjab, in particular, “would be a hard bone to swallow”.