Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi has been officially appointed as Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) full-time chairman for a three-year term. Naqvi was declared PCB's new chairman unanimously in the election which took place during a special meeting of the Board of Governors (BoG) held at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore. This appointment marks him as the first full-time PCB Chairman since the departure of former captain Ramiz Raja, who was removed from the position due to political interference just one year into his tenure, immediately following the conclusion of the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Mohsin Naqvi is apparently the 37th chairman of the PCB and the fourth to be named by the country's board in the last four years.
"Mr Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, has been elected unanimously and unopposed as the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Chairman for a three-year term. Mr Shah Khawar had summoned a special meeting of the Board of Governors (BoG) today at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore," PCB said in a statement.
All about Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi
While the caretaker Chief Minister of Pakistan's Punjab, Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi lacks prior experience in cricket management, he holds a distinguished reputation in Pakistan, primarily owing to his extensive administrative and corporate background. Born on October 28, 1978, in Lahore, he completed his early education at Crescent Model School and earned his degree from Government College University.
Subsequently, he pursued higher education in media sciences in the United States. Upon his return to Pakistan, he joined CNN as a producer and eventually ascended to the position of Regional Head of South Asia. In 2009, he established City Media Group, which currently operates six TV Channels and one newspaper.
The PCB's Chief Patron, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, officially appointed Naqvi as a member of the governing board on January 22, 2024. Prior to this, the Election Commission of Pakistan had assigned him the role of the caretaker Chief Minister of Pakistan. It is expected that he will continue in this position for several months, even with his new responsibilities within the PCB.
Mohsin Naqvi promises to bring 'professionalism' to the PCB
In his statement, Naqvi expressed that he felt both honored and humbled by the appointment, pledging to bring a sense of "professionalism" to the PCB.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to have been unanimously elected as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. I am thankful for the trust and confidence reposed in me. I am fully committed to upgrading the standard of the game in the country and bringing professionalism in the administration of cricket in Pakistan," he said.
Pakistan cricket went through big shake-up
Former interim PCB chief Zaka Ashraf had resigned as the Chairperson of the PCB Management Committee on January 19, taking over the position from Najam Sethi, who had previously resigned from the top office in 2023. Ashraf submitted his resignation to Patron Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. Kakar had granted the committee a three-month extension to oversee the elections for the vacant PCB Chairman position and to finalise the Board of Governors “as soon as possible.” While off-field matters have been tumultuous, the on-field performance of the national team has been no better, suffering embarrassing defeats in Australia and New Zealand following the ODI World Cup. They were whitewashed 3-0 by Australia in the Test series and faced a 4-1 loss in the five-match T20I series. During the ODI World Cup, the national team was eliminated in the league stage, leading to Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq publicly criticizing Zaka Ashraf. At that time, the then PCB chief was held responsible for leaking players' private chats and also criticised the players for their poor performance in the World Cup.
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