Former Pakistan internationals have welcomed the resignation of Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf.

Ashraf tendered his resignation on Monday, hours after returning from a lengthy holiday in the United States and just minutes after Pervez Musharraf announced he was stepping down as Pakistan president on national television. Musharraf was also patron of the PCB.

According to the PCB constitution, only the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan can be the patron of the board.

Ashraf was appointed PCB chief in October 2006 by Musharraf and his two-year tenure had been tumultuous and controversy-filled.

He had offered to resign following Pakistan's first-round exit from the World Cup in 2007 and the controversial death of coach Bob Woolmer in the Caribbean, but Musharraf refused to accept.

But now, former cricketers such as Zaheer Abbas hope the government would appoint a former cricketer at the helm.

"It would be great if a former cricketer is appointed as the PCB chairman," Abbas was quoted as saying by The News.

"I believe that somebody who has played cricket at the highest level can run the sport better than anybody else."

Abbas was manager of the Pakistan team during the controversial tour of England in 2006, which included the Oval Test fiasco.

"It is my experience that you need a person with ample experience to maintain discipline among the players," he stressed.

Former skipper Javed Miandad was even more scathing of Ashraf.

"He should have resigned much earlier," said Miandad.

"He is the biggest reason for the decline of Pakistan cricket. He was incapable of running the game properly."

"You need someone who knows the game to run it in a professional manner."