ISLAMABAD — Newly-elected chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board Najam Sethi says one of the challenges for him is to bring back international cricket to Pakistan.

“You know how much work we are doing in this regard and soon the results will be in front of you,” Sethi told reporters Wednesday.

Sethi, 69, will replace Shaharyar Khan, who quit because of health and personal reasons after completing his tenure.

Sethi was unopposed and was unanimously elected by a new 10-member PCB board of governors.

Pakistan’s deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had appointed Sethi as member of the board of governors last month. It is mandatory, according to the PCB’s constitution, that the chairman should be elected from the members of the board of governors.

Zimbabwe has been the only team to visit Pakistan since a terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team’s bus in Lahore in 2009.

“Lots of people are disappointed but I request you to show some patience,” Sethi said.

“There are security issues, one day we decide that a team will come and then something happens (in Pakistan), but over the next 2-3 months you will hear some good announcements.”

As part of the revival of international cricket in Pakistan, the PCB is also planning to host a Twenty20 series against a World XI in Lahore. However, the final dates and which players are expected to come to Pakistan are yet to be decided.

Sethi was also a former caretaker chief minister of the Punjab province and was the key official behind the successful staging of Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 league.

Although the two editions of Pakistan Super League were held in the United Arab Emirates, Sethi staged the final of the second edition of PSL at Lahore in March.

It will be Sethi’s second term as chairman of the PCB after he was involved in a legal battle over the leadership with former PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf. That ended in May 2014 when Sethi said he would not contest elections for the chairman’s post.

Sethi will be travelling to Sri Lanka Thursday to chair the meeting of the Asian Cricket Council ACC. He said he will discuss the Sri Lankan team’s tour to Pakistan later this year.

Pakistan is due to host Sri Lanka in October in the United Arab Emirates and Sethi said Pakistan wants to host Sri Lanka in Pakistan after the series ends in the UAE.

Ali wants Ashes role for Saqlain

England star Moeen Ali wants Saqlain Mushtaq’s coaching role made permanent so he can continue to work with him in the upcoming Ashes series following his record-breaking feats against South Africa.

The 30-year-old Ali, an off-spinner and left-handed batsman, became the first man to score more than 250 runs and take 25 wickets in a four Test-match series during England’s 3-1 win over the Proteas.

Afterward, Ali was unstinting in his praise of spin coach Saqlain.

The former Pakistan off-spinner is, however, currently employed by the England and Wales Cricket Board on a consultancy basis only and Ali said: “If you are going to have batting, fielding and fast-bowling coaches, it would be nice to have a spin-bowling coach for pretty much all the games.

“If I do get on that plane for the Ashes, hopefully I’ll have Saqqy sitting next to me,” he added. “I’d like him to be there. He can help me out.”

Ali has often labeled himself a “second spinner”.

But his bowling has improved markedly under Saqlain’s guidance.

“Saqqy has been amazing for me in terms of helping with my fields, helping me understand my bowling a lot more than I had done previously — and I think that has been the biggest difference,” said Ali after bowling England to a 177-run win in the fourth Test at Old Trafford with more than a day to spare Monday.

Hashim Amla’s 83 held England up but a toilet break gave Ali a chance to consult Saqlain and he subsequently had the star batsman lbw.

It was the start of an Ali burst that yielded three wickets for five runs in 11 balls. — Agencies