<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Pakistan cricket chief Ramiz Raja has been sacked just days after the national team suffered a humiliating Test series defeat at the hands of England, according to AFP reports.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Appointments to run the sport in the cricket-mad country are highly politicised, and responsibility lies with the prime minister and cabinet.</div><div><br></div><div>England wrapped up the third Test on Tuesday to hand Pakistan their first-ever 3-0 home series whitewash.</div><div><br></div><div>But a change had been on the cards since April, when Imran Khan -- a former national captain -- was ousted as prime minister and replaced by Shehbaz Sharif.</div><div><br></div><div>Raja, a member of Khan's 1992 World Cup-winning side, was appointed chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in September last year.</div><div><br></div><div>A government notice seen by AFP said Sharif's cabinet had dismissed Raja, and the PCB would now be run by a 14-member committee headed by Najam Sethi, who has twice served as chairman.</div><div><br></div><div>The committee also includes Shahid Afridi and Sana Mir, former captains of the men's and women's teams.</div><div><br></div><div>The government notice also said the current constitution of the board has been scrapped, and one dating from 2014 revived.</div><div><br></div><div>The committee will have 120 days to change the constitution and elect a new chairman.</div><div><br></div><div>"The cricket regime headed by Ramiz Raja @iramizraja is no more," Sethi tweeted Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>"The 2014 PCB constitution stands restored. The Management Committee will work tirelessly to revive first class cricket."</div><div><br></div><div>Khan came under fire for changing the PCB's constitution in 2019 -- in particular for abolishing the role of government departments and private entities in first-class cricket, leaving hundreds unemployed.</div><div><br></div><div>In his tweet, Sethi said "thousands of cricketers will be employed again".</div><div><br></div><div>"The famine in cricket will come to an end," he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Raja was not immediately available to comment, but sources said it was likely he would contest his removal through the courts.</div><div><br></div><div>The shake-up comes as New Zealand arrived Thursday for a tour that will include two Tests and three one-day internationals.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>