New Delhi, Jun 20 (IANS): Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf along with Supreme Court lawyer Mustafa Ramday, has been nominated by the country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday to join the PCB's Board of Governors (BoG).

The development, which comes after the PCB interim Management Committee chairman Najam Sethi pulled out of the race to become the board's next chief, is a significant step for Ashraf, as it brings him one step closer to regaining the chairmanship of the PCB.

Announcing his withdrawal on Twitter, Sethi said: "I don't want to be a bone of contention between Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif. Such instability and uncertainty are not good for PCB. Under the circumstances, I am not a candidate for the Chairmanship of PCB. Good luck to all stakeholders."

As per reports, Sethi and Ashraf have a history of competing for the PCB's leadership. In 2013 and 2014, they were embroiled in a protracted legal battle over the position.

In Pakistan cricket, the Prime Minister's appointment to the PCB board of governors is typically the person who usually becomes the board chairman for a three-year term and Ashraf is the favourite to be elected to the position.

The two nominations would complete the 10-member BoG with the remaining eight members of the body almost decided with four representatives each from regions and departments.

The body will vote for the PCB's new chairman and put an end to the tenure of the board's interim Management Committee, which took charge in December last year after the ouster of former chief Ramiz Raja to revoke the 2019 constitution of the board and replace it with the 2014 charter, according to a report in Pakistan's leading daily Dawn.