Najam Sethi appointed interim chairman of PCB

Senior journalist Najam Sethi has been appointed as the interim chairman of the national Cricket Board (PCB) by the Pakistan Government.

Days after his stint with the Punjab Government as Caretaker chief minister, Sethi, 65, got the interim role following a court order.

According to the Nation, PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf was ordered to stop work last month amid a row over his election, which was criticized in some quarters as unfairly influenced by President Asif Ali Zardari.

Former Pakistan Army cricket coach Ahmed Nadeem Sadal challenged the appointment of Asharf in Islamabad High Court and the court considering the elections dubious suspended him from working.

The court ordered the Inter-Provincial Committee, looking after the sports affairs in the country, to appoint an interim PCB chairman until the case is decided.

Sethi's appointment has come as a surprise after the government's counsel last week informed the court that former captain Majid Khan, cricket commentator Chishtie Mujahid and the former chief of the Federal Bureau of Revenue Mumtaz Haider Rizvi were short listed for the post.

After appointment to the interim post, Sethi's agenda includes approval of the team selected for next month's tour of the West Indies where Pakistan will be playing five one-day internationals and two Twenty20s, the report added.