LAHORE: Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja alleged the Indian cricket board, influenced by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been trying to restrict Pakistan’s international cricket presence.
In a speech at Government College University in Lahore, Raja further stated the International Cricket Council (ICC) is heavily influenced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) due to the majority of its revenue coming from India.
He emphasized that during his tenure as PCB chief, he took a stance for Pakistan against India’s alleged pressure to change the venue for the Asia Cup, which was originally slated to be hosted by Pakistan.
Raja, who served as PCB chief for little over a year, also claimed that he focused on growth and consistency during his tenure, criticizing the recent overhaul of the board’s structure, calling it unfair and demoralizing for young players.
He added that the restoration of the PCB’s 2014 constitution has brought Pakistani cricket to a “dark age”, and that the new setup has reneged on its promise to provide employment, leading to the firing of over 150 coaches.
Furthermore, Raja said cricket affairs should be run by cricketers and should be kept free from political interference, while commenting on the recent appointment of Shan Masood as Vice-Captain of the one-day team for the New Zealand series, he said, it may cause pressure on the team.
Also, he mentioned on wicket-keeper batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed’s benching during his era, he said that Sarfaraz was always part of the Test setup, but the playing eleven was always picked by the coach and captain.
While discussing match-fixing in cricket, Raja called players involved in it “traitors” and said that he does not have any respect for them and from an era where 9 players were fighting for the win and two were just playing around.
