"Please take a look at how India..." - Ramiz Raja blasts PCB and its hotchpotch system

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has sparked controversy with his criticism of Pakistan's cricket system after they endured yet another poor campaign in the ICC events.

Pakistan’s performance was disappointing in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup. In his analysis of Pakistan’s group exit from the T20 World Cup 2024, Raja lamented the inconsistency and lack of continuity in Pakistan, which eventually led to their poor performances in the ICC tournaments.

Pakistan's turbulent cricket structure under fire after T20 World Cup 2024 exit

The former captain also lamented the lack of support Pakistani players get from the PCB and fans. Raja admitted the pressure and challenges of T20I cricket, but he also highlighted the stark difference in how India and Pakistan handle their players.

He pointed out that India stands by its players even in tough times, citing Axar Patel’s final over in the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa, saying if he had been a Pakistani player, he would have been made a villain.

Raja described the Pakistan cricket system as a hotchpotch, saying the lack of consistent leadership and frequent changes in the administration have been disrupting the momentum needed for sustained growth and success in international cricket, and the result is well known to the world.

Ramiz Raja said on his YouTube channel: “See, I understand pressure is different in T20 cricket. It is a tough format, no doubt. Please take a look at how India backs its players. Axar got smacked in the final, but that does not make him a bad bowler overnight. But with Pakistan, the problem is that we are always up and down. We are unable to read the game.

Also, as far as leadership is concerned, it is the system that produces a leader, not some magic wand. In Pakistan, the system is a hotchpotch. Whenever a new administration comes in, they try to impose their new system. So, every time, it is a fresh start. By the time you go from 1st gear to fourth gear, the regime changes and we are back to square one.”

There is a need for system and continuity in Pakistan: Ramiz Raja

Furthermore, the former PCB chief slammed Pakistan for not having both short-term goals and long-term stability due to the constant turbulence in its cricketing structure, saying they need a lot of improvements to match their competitiveness with the top teams.

Raja signed off by saying, “For greatness, there is a need for system and continuity. A lot of improvements are needed in Pakistan. Neither do we have short-term goals, and the question of long-term does not arise because no one knows what will happen in a year because there is so much turbulence in cricket.”

Notably, Pakistan had suffered an embarrassing defeat against the USA, followed by a crushing loss to India in the group stages, before winning the last two matches against Canada and Ireland in the T20 World Cup 2024.

However, a washout between Ireland and the USA knocked them out of the tournament, with regaining champions India and the co-hosts making it to the Super-8 stage from Group A in the T20 World Cup 2024.