“Najam Sethi Wants Limelight At Any Cost” – Ramiz Raja Breaks Silence On PCB Sacking And Launches Scathing Attack On New Regime

The 60-year-old Ramiz Raja has finally opened up on his sacking as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and said that the entire constitution of the board has been changed to accommodate Najam Sethi, who has “nothing to do with cricket and has never lifted a bat”.

Ramiz Raja was appointed as the 36th chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on September 13, 2021. He was elected unanimously and unopposed for a three-year tenure after Imran Khan (Pakistan’s Prime Minister then) nominated him. He had become only the fourth ex-Pakistan cricketer to lead the PCB after Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Javed Burki and Ijaz Butt.

IPL 2023 | Sri Lanka Tour Of India 2023 | Dream11 Prediction | Fantasy Cricket Tips | Cricket Match Prediction Today | Cricket News | Cricket Live Score | New Zealand tour of India 2023 | Australia Tour Of India 2023 

Ramiz Raja was sacked as the PCB chairman on December 21, 2022, following Pakistan’s humiliating defeat in the three-match Test series against England on home soil.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sherif, who is also the patron of the board, cleared the appointment of Najam Sethi and he was handed the role of PCB chairman.

IPL 2023 | India National Cricket Team | IND vs SL 2023 | India vs Sri Lanka 2023 | IND vs NZ 2023 | India vs New Zealand 2023 | IND vs AUS 2023 | India vs Australia 2023

Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Raja, who led Pakistan in five Tests and 22 ODIs, said that Sethi is not the messiah, who will take Pakistan cricket to new heights, and he is just there for the limelight. He also made a big revelation that Mickey Arthur has been called to replace Saqlain Mushtaq as head coach.

“To accommodate one person, Sethi to be precise, they had to change the entire constitution (of the PCB). I have not seen this anywhere in the world. It has been done in the middle of a season, when teams are visiting Pakistan. They have changed the chief selector, who had played Test cricket. At 2 am in the night, he (Sethi) tweets that Ramiz Raja is gone. This is my playing field. It hurts,” Ramiz said during a YouTube interaction with the fans on Monday.

“It has been made out as if a messiah (Sethi) has come, who will take the game to new heights. We know what he is up to. He wants the limelight at any cost. He has nothing to do with cricket, and has never lifted a bat. They have changed me midway. In the middle of the season, they are bringing Mickey Arthur. Saqlain Mushtaq’s tenure was ending anyway in January. Saqlain has played over 50 (49) Tests, he is a legend. This is no way to treat the cricketers.”

It frustrates when you are told to step aside midway through after 12 months – Ramiz Raja

Ramiz Raja, who played for Pakistan from 1984 to 1997, featuring in 57 Tests and 198 ODIs, further said that the political interference in cricket administration should end now.

“It frustrates when you are told to step aside midway through after 12 months when you were given a term of three years. This is to fill a political person. It will not help cricket. It leads to pressure on the cricket board, system, national team and captain. The constitution has to be robust. It happens only in Pakistan. I will continue to raise the subject at international platforms. It has become a joke.” 

“They did not allow me to take my stuff out of the office. They don’t have any interest in cricket. The constitution has been bulldozed. It is political victimization and vendetta. There will be no place for excellence when there is no continuity.”

Also Read: Danish Kaneria Takes A Brutal Dig At Shahid Afridi After The Latter’s Appointment As Interim Chief Selector

Virat Kohli | Rohit Sharma | Rishabh Pant | KL Rahul | Suryakumar Yadav | Sanju Samson | Shreyas Iyer | Yuzvendra Chahal | Jasprit Bumrah