Pakistan cricket board CEO Wasim Khan steps down: PCB

Pakistan’s cricket board said on Wednesday its chief executive had resigned, two weeks after New Zealand and England abandoned tours in the country over security concerns.

The PCB gave no reason for Wasim Khan’s resignation four months before the end of his contract, but said it would meet later on Wednesday to “consider the matter”.

“(The) Pakistan Cricket Board today confirmed Wasim Khan has tendered his resignation as chief executive,” it said in a statement.

New Zealand Cricket called off their first tour of Pakistan in 18 years just as the first one-day international was due to start in Rawalpindi earlier this month.

Their decision was swiftly followed by England’s cancellation of a planned tour next month.

Pakistan said the threat to New Zealand cricketers came from India.

Khan’s departure comes after Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis stepped down from their respective roles recently.

The resignations have come within two weeks of the election of former cricketer Ramiz Raja as PCB Chairman.

Raja, who played more than 250 international matches for Pakistan from 1984 to 1997, replaced Ehsan Mani who stepped down from his role last month.

Khan – who is British with Pakistani heritage – had reported run-ins with former Mani, who he accused of stopping him from working freely.

Hired on a three-year contract in 2019, Khan had organised Pakistan’s tours of England and then New Zealand amid severe COVID-19 restrictions last year.

He had made huge efforts to revive international cricket after a 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team sent Pakistan into isolation for years.

Security in the country has improved dramatically over the past few years but armed groups still operate along the border with Afghanistan.

Pakistan have only hosted South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe since the 2009 attacks.