A day after the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) board of governors (BoG) found itself in the middle of a controversy surrounding the appointment of the board’s managing director, the PCB on Thursday initiated action against one of the vocal BoG members, Nauman Butt.
A day earlier, five out of seven members of the BoG had presented a resolution declaring the appointment of Wasim Khan as managing director “null and void” — a development that PCB Chairperson Ehsan Mani had deemed “hugely” disappointing. The tabled resolution, however, could not be passed as the meeting was adjourned due to incomplete quorum.
Nauman Butt had told reporters that they had reviewed the constitution of the cricket board and found that there was no place for a managing director. He said that the constitution had clearly stated that the chairperson was to be the chief executive officer, which was followed by the position of the chief operating officer.
According to Butt, the board members had not taken part in any boycott; instead, he said, that they had drafted the resolution and presented it during the meeting. “We will not take any step that is against the vision of the [PCB] constitution,” he had added.
In today’s development, the PCB in a statement said that the PCB chairman on Wednesday received a complaint from a member of its BoG against Butt for misconduct.
“As per Article 10(6) of the PCB Constitution, PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani has referred the complaint to an independent adjudicator, Retired Justice Fazal-i-Miran Chauhan. This means that as per Article 10(7) and pending the outcome of the proceedings, Nauman Butt will not be allowed to attend any BoG and committee meetings,” reads the press release.
Article 10(7) of the PCB constitution reads: “Any member, against whom a complaint is referred by the chairman to the adjudicator, shall not be allowed to attend any meeting of the BoG or any committee during the pendency of proceedings before the adjudicator.”
In the complaint, the statement read, the BoG member accused Butt of “sharing confidential meeting documents with the media; using inappropriate and highly objectionable language against the chairman; criticising the PCB and it’s management/policies through dishonest statements; making false accusations; carrying out misrepresentation of facts; and blatantly acting against the interests” of Pakistan cricket.
