Ramiz Raja criticizes political interference in cricket to accommodate ‘Seth and his thugs’ – Sport

Recently ousted Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja on Monday drew criticism for political meddling by changing the cricket board’s rules to accommodate his incumbent chairman Najam Sethi and his thugs.

On 21 December, in a major top-level reshuffle of Pakistan cricket administration, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed a 14-member management committee headed by Seth to handle PCB affairs until elections are held within the next four months.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel today, where he answered questions from the audience, Raja said politics should not come into cricket.

He said it was the cricketers’ game and their playing field and added that you should not bring in people from outside who will attack and think that what you are doing is not right.

You changed the whole [PCB] The Constitution brought in one person, Najam Sethi, and adapted him. I have never seen this anywhere else in the world.

He said there is a way around such processes and lamented that the change along with the change of chief selector happened in the middle of the cricket season when the teams were about to play.

You say goodbye to people with respect. He (Sethi) tweeted at 2:15 that Ramiz Raja is gone and people should congratulate him.

Raja said he was a Test cricketer and that was his playing field. So you are hurt because it seems like a Messiah has come who will take cricket to great heights, even though we know their motives are different, the former PCB chief added.

This notion is not even there that they have come to develop and promote cricket. They have become masters and enjoy being somehow in the limelight.

Nothing to do with cricket and they have never picked up a bat and then they are appointed chairman,” Raja said.

He noted that he was given a three-year tenure as the PCB chairmen but was ousted after just 12 months due to political interference and political appointment.

This is how our cricket is being destroyed because when there is no continuity and people are brought in through the back door like this [means] so what’s your level

He said such meetings put pressure on the entire cricket structure from top to bottom.

It is only in Pakistan that you change the constitution to accommodate a person or bring in his thugs.

Raja said that he would bring up political interference in sports at international forums as well. Is this a joke with our cricket? he concluded, adding that people are angry about this.

Meanwhile, Sethi said in the media today, in a question about Rajas follow-up comment: Ramiz Raja will not be stopped at all. I have a lot of respect for him. I understand the pressure he was under.

Sethi said that if Raja was selected for commentary, PCB will not oppose it at any stage, no sir, we will not oppose it.

The Sethi-headed committee includes Shakil Sheikh (former PCB BoG), Gul Zada ​​(former PCB BoG) Nauman Butt (former PCB BoG), former Test cricketers Haroon Rashid, Shahid Khan Afridi and Shafqat Rana, Sana Mir (former Pakistan women’s team captain) , Aized Syed (Former PCB Director NHPC), Tanvir Ahmed (Former President Larkana District), Advocate Supreme Court Mustafa Ramday and Chaudhry Arif Saeed (Managing Director Service Industries).

One of the members of the new management committee, who requested anonymity, had said that this committee was formed under the 2014 PCB constitution.

This [management] the committee will work till the election of PCB board and chairman, which will be held within 120 days, the said member said.

Now after the official approval of the Federal Cabinet, when the summary has been moved for receipt [this] Through approval, the PCB’s 2019 Constitution is officially repealed and the 2014 Constitution is officially revived.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan approved the 2019 Constitution.

This committee will handle PCB affairs with full executive powers with the aim of restoring the department’s cricketing structure and related matters, including appointment of the board and election of the chairman as per the 2014 constitution, within 120 days.

According to sources, there were strong chances that after the abrogation of the 2019 constitution, Sethi would officially take over as PCB chairman after the relevant legal formalities.