Pakistan's sports ministry has decided to take control of the country's cricket board (PCB), which has functioned independently since 1948.

The ministry amended the board's constitution and issued a notification on Monday under which it will monitor the PCB's operational and financial affairs, the PCB said on Tuesday.

Sports minister Najamuddin Khan said his ministry had taken control because the board was functioning without a chairman following the resignation of Nasim Ashraf.

"Since the board chairman resigned last month, the ministry has decided to take measures to bring cricket affairs under the control of the ministry," Khan told Reuters on Tuesday.

"All sports federations in the country come under our control. And we also want to have a certain level of transparency in cricket affairs as people are unhappy with the performance of the team," Khan added.

The International Cricket Council [Images], the sport's world governing body, declined to comment on the development.

However, a board official, who did not want to be named, told Reuters: "This is the first time the ministry has got involved in cricket affairs and it could change the whole dynamics of the way cricket has been run in this country."