Ehsan Mani steps down as PCB chairman, Ramiz Raja likely to preside

Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani on Thursday stepped down from the post after completing his three-year term. An official of the PCB confirmed that Mani was no longer chairman of the board as his tenure ended on August 25.

"We can make no further comments on the matter as the notification for the election of the new chairman will be issued by the Prime Minister's house," he said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan is presently the patron in chief of the board and will now nominate two people to the PCB Board of Governors (BOG) and one of them will be elected as the new chairman.

Rumours were circulating that Pakistan's former Test captain Ramiz Raja will take over as the new chairman of the board.

Both Mani and Ramiz have held meetings with the PM this week but it remains unclear whether Khan will nominate Ramiz on the BOG.

Ramiz told a cricket website that he had submitted a blueprint for the restructuring of Pakistan cricket to the PM when he was called for the meeting.

"Pakistan cricket needs a new direction as our rankings in all three formats indicates our cricket is not improving as the prime minister wanted," he said.

Mani confirmed to Geo News channel that he had declined to continue any longer as chairman of the board.