Intikhab to represent Pakistan in ICC Chief Executives meeting

Karachi: In the absence of a functional head, Pakistan Cricket Board has chosen former Test captain Intikhab Alam to represent the country in the International Cricket Council Chief Executives meeting in London next week.

But it is yet to take a decision on who will represent Pakistan at the ICC annual executive board meeting on July 27. "Intikhab Alam will be representing us at the CEO`s meeting as the chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed is presently committed to remain in Pakistan due to the existing Board affairs," one official source said. The source said since the PCB affairs and constitution are being discussed in the Islamabad High Court and the next hearing is scheduled for Monday, Intikhab, who is director international cricket operations, was chosen to travel to London for the meeting. "As far as the ICC executive board meeting is concerned, the PCB is awaiting a decision from the Islamabad High Court or the government to name an interim chairman to represent Pakistan," the source said. He said that the government was also yet to announce the interim chairman due to some issues after the Islamabad High Court suspended Zaka Ashraf from working as chairman of the Board last month. The High Court had ordered the government`s inter provincial coordination ministry at its last hearing to appoint a interim chairman to represent Pakistan at the ICC meeting. "Perhaps the government also does not want to take a direct decision and wants the court to pass an order on who should be interim chairman since it is a constitutional issue," the source said. The High Court order came on a constitutional writ petition filed by a former coach of Army cricket team in which he has challenged the poll process held by the Board last month in which Ashraf became the first elected head of the PCB under the new constitution. The source said so far the ICC had not contacted the PCB over the issue of Ashraf being suspended as chairman or over the hearing in the High Court. "The ICC is apparently preferring to keep away from the matter since it now involves the judiciary and is sub-judice," the source said. Ashraf had claimed that he had held the election process under the terms of the new constitution which was approved by the ICC before it was implemented. The Board is also facing constitutional writ petitions from several regional cricket associations over the election process. PTI