Alia Zafar Appointed As Pakistan Cricket Board's First Female Director

Alia Zafar has been appointed as the first female director of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Zafar, a human resources (HR) executive, has been appointed alongside three new male directors - finance executive Javed Kureishi, economist Asim Wajid Jawad, and corporate executive Arif Saeed. Notably, the PCB’s new constitution stipulates the compulsory inclusion of at least one woman among four independent directors on its board of governors.

The New Indian Express reported that Zafar and Jawad have been appointed for two years while Kureishi and Saeed have been appointed for three years.

What You Should Know: 

• Alia Zafar is the first female director of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
• She has been appointed alongside three new male directors - finance executive Javed Kureishi, economist Asim Wajid Jawad, and corporate executive Arif Saeed.
• Notably, the PCB’s new constitution stipulates the compulsory inclusion of at least one woman among four independent directors on its board of governors.
• Ehsan Mani, PCB’s chairman, has described Zafar's appointment as "a giant step forward in enhancing the PCB’s governance structure.” 

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Pakistan Cricket Board’s First Female Director

As per a PCB press release, Alia Zafar has secured both Master of Arts and Master of Business Administration degrees. Furthermore, she is a human resources specialist with a diploma/certification in learning, innovation and social entrepreneurship from Germany and INSEAD France. Previously, she has assumed senior HR positions at corporations like Bank of Punjab, Askari Bank, and Crown Agents America. Additionally, Zafar has worked with organisations like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). She has been described as an “HR specialist with experience in capacity-building, corporate governance, organisational design, and performance evaluation.”

A Revamped Pakistan Cricket Board

The new directors were announced on Monday, November 9, when PCB's Board of Governors held their 59th meeting at the National High-Performance Centre in Lahore. Ehsan Mani, PCB’s chairman, welcomed the new cohort of directors: “I welcome the newly-appointed independent members, especially Ms. Alia Zafar, the first female independent member, which is a giant step forward in enhancing the PCB’s governance structure.” He added, “The four new members bring with them a wealth of diverse knowledge that will only improve the professional outlook and working of the PCB.”

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The Pakistan Cricket Board has made various changes in its structure and policies in the recent past. The revamp has led to only six provincial teams - Balochistan, Central Punjab, Southern Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Northern - competing in premier first-class cricket tournaments. For more than half a century, banks fielded teams alongside city-based teams in Pakistan in first-class tournaments.

Picture Credits: The New Indian Express

Tarini Gandhiok is an intern with SheThePeople.TV