PCB Chairman Naqvi Appointed Federal Minister, Retains PCB Role
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi Appointed Federal Minister, Retains PCB Role
Mohsin Naqvi, the newly elected chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has been appointed as the Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control. This unprecedented move has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest and the impact on the governance of Pakistan cricket.
Naqvi, who was elected PCB chairman last month, has stated that he will continue to hold both positions concurrently. This is not the first time he has juggled political and cricketing responsibilities. Last month, he was serving as the caretaker chief minister of Punjab while also being elected PCB chairman.
The PCB has defended Naqvi’s dual role, arguing that it does not violate the board’s constitution. The PCB election commissioner has stated that the board’s rules prohibit a chairman from holding an “office of profit” concurrently, but Naqvi has said he will not draw a salary from his role at the Interior Ministry.
However, the dual role has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Naqvi has previously stated that he does not want politics to seep into cricket, but his appointment as a federal minister could make it difficult to maintain that separation.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has historically taken a dim view of political interference in cricket, but it has only intervened sporadically. There is precedent for board chairs holding ministries elsewhere in the subcontinent, such as Sharad Pawar serving as BCCI president while also being India’s Minister for Agriculture.
The ICC has stated that it requires a complaining party to assess whether political interference has occurred at a cricket board. In the past, it has suspended Zimbabwe Cricket and Sri Lanka Cricket for brief periods due to political interference.
It remains to be seen how Naqvi’s dual role will impact the governance of Pakistan cricket. The PCB has expressed confidence that there will be no violation of its constitution, but the potential for conflicts of interest and political influence remains a concern.