Former captain and 'king of swing' Wasim Akram has turned down an offer to join the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as either Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or advisor to the Chairman.
The decision comes as the PCB faces scrutiny over the management of its cricketing affairs.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the Federal Minister of Interior, has been criticised for his perceived lack of focus on cricket due to his dual roles.
To address these concerns, Naqvi sought to bring a former cricketer into a full-time position to oversee the board’s cricket-related matters.
According to sources, Naqvi recently approached Akram with the offer of the CEO or advisor position. The role would require a full-time commitment, including relocation to Lahore, to manage the PCB’s cricketing operations effectively.
However, Akram, who resides permanently in Karachi and frequently travels to Australia for family reasons, cited his inability to relocate as the primary reason for his decline.
Despite turning down the position, Akram assured Naqvi of his willingness to support Pakistan cricket voluntarily without compensation.
Following Akram's decision, the PCB has shifted its focus to another former cricketing legend, Waqar Younis. Younis, who also resides in Australia, has expressed a readiness to move back to Lahore and engage with the PCB in a similar capacity.
He met with Naqvi on Monday to discuss the role, although no official announcement regarding his appointment has been made yet.
Notably, the current PCB constitution does not include a CEO position, but amendments could be considered to facilitate the role if necessary.
Both Akram and Younis have been scrutinized in the past in connection with the Justice Qayyum report, an exhaustive investigation into match-fixing that concluded in 2000.
