Amir Tariq Zaman named new PCB secretary to cut 'unnecessary appointments'

Amir Tariq Zaman Khan has been named as the Pakistan Cricket Board's secretary by the Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination in the country, in compliance with the Islamabad High Court order, which is a role not defined in the PCB constitution.

According to The Daily Times, Zaman is currently the additional secretary sport for the IPC and his role will be to cut down on the number of board employees, some of who may have been illegally appointed during Zaka Ashraf's tenure.

IPC's legal advisor, Irfan Ullah Khan said that the appointment is in compliance with the IHC orders and the notification has been issued earlier this week.

The court in July ordered a comprehensive transformation in the functioning of the PCB, to be initiated with fresh elections, the report said.

The 30-page judgment, asked for changes in the structure of the PCB, questioned the appointment of the selection committee, as well as its financial and recruitment affairs, the report added.

The PCB is presently being run by an interim setup led by a Najam Sethi, who was given 90 days until October 18 with the objective of looking into the day-to-day affairs of the PCB, cooperating and ensuring the conduct of the election, the report further said.

The appointment of Khan, a government grade 21 officer, is, however, in direct breach of the Woolf Report approved by the ICC which recommended governance in cricket boards to be free of government and political interferences, according to the report.