Lahore, Dec 13 (IANS): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday appointed former ICC chief financial officer (CFO) Faisal Hasnain as its new chief executive officer (CEO). Hasnain, who also served as managing director of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), will now fill in the post from January 2022, replacing Wasim Khan, who stepped down in September after the appointment of Ramiz Raja as PCB's new chairman.

"These are highly exciting times in Pakistan cricket and I look forward to working very closely with my colleagues at the PCB so that we can collectively further enhance the image, reputation and profile of this great institution," said Hasnain in a statement.

As the ICC's CFO from 2002 to 2008 and 2010 to 2017, Hasnain, a UK-qualified chartered accountant, managed an overall financial portfolio of around $3 billion and was also involved in the sale of the ICC's commercial rights for the 2007-2015 and the 2016-2023 commercial cycles.

"Faisal is a familiar figure in world cricket and is highly regarded, respected and trusted for his excellence in corporate governance, financial management and commercial acumen. With the plans I have for the PCB, Faisal will be a perfect fit as he can utilise his vast experience and knowledge to help us achieve our commercial and financial objectives of making Pakistan cricket bigger and stronger," said PCB chairman Raja.

With Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), Hasnain was instrumental in the refinancing of their commercial debts, arriving at the financial arrangements between ZC and the ICC, securing ZC's funding and status within the ICC and securing hosting rights for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 -- Zimbabwe's first global event in 15 years.