“Are we servant of India?” – Ramiz Raja’s latest take on shifting Asia Cup 2023
Former chairman Ramiz Raja wants to see good leadership from PCB.
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Former Pakistani cricketer Ramiz Raja believes that PCB needs to show leadership in the heated up matter of Asia Cup 2023. It all started after BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced that team India will not travel to Pakistan for the continental cup and suggested to host the tournament at a neutral venue.
The former PCB chairman pointed out how some nations avoided traveling to Pakistan during his stint but what followed then. The likes of England, New Zealand, Australia and West Indies traveled to Pakistan, which helped the country resurge the game on the home soil. However, Raja was sacked by the board after the Men in Green suffered a whitewash in the hands of English team.
“One positive from my stint as a chairman was that I provided leadership. If you remember New Zealand had left then we told them that what you did was unfair. The England refused to come, we spoke with them, following which they played 7 T20Is instead of 5, two extra. The ECB staffs visited Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, they came to my office and apologised. Similarly Australia also visited,” Raja told Dunya News.
Ramiz Raja goes harsh on BCCI
Ramiz Raza argued that the Pakistan cricket shouldn’t let India control it’s decision. He feels that the nation is good enough to make decisions on its own and that will only happen if the board shows good leadership. He also stated that the Asia Cup 2023 shouldn’t be shifted to a neutral venue without discussions with the concerned bodies.
“Kya hum sab servant rahenge India k, kyunki woh ek world power hain apne hisab se. Kya hum har cheez unki mante jayenge?” (Are we servant of India just because they are a world power in cricket? Should we listen to everything they say?) We will think, will we get isolated, we’ll ask permission from the government then talks will move further. These are not signs of good leadership,” he added.
“The Pakistan cricket team is enjoying a great run, you have a good fan following, you have superstars, so please give your team and fans the respect they deserve. There should be a decision on the matter, as the tournament was given to Pakistan, so how can it be shifted to a neutral venue without consulting us or with the ACC members,” he said.
Earlier, Raja also suggested that Pakistan may boycott the 2023 ODI World Cup, which is scheduled to be played in India, in response to India’s decision to avoid traveling to Pakistan. However, no decision has been made by the body. It remains to be seen how the matter unfolds in the coming months with the tournaments approaching.
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Wansh Agarwal
(140 Articles Published)