January 1, 2023
Pakistan's Former PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja Grilled
By Syed Rifaquat Ali
Renowned Pakistani TV anchor, Mansoor Ali Khan, grilled the former Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ramiz Raja, who was recently sacked after England beat Pakistan 3-0 to clinch the series.
Pakistan had never lost a series at home against England. The prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, who is the Patron of PCB, swiftly overhauled the Board for betterment, sacked Ramiz Raja and changed the selection committee.
Noted Pakistani journalist, Najam Sethi, who is Editor of the tabloid Friday Times, took over from Ramiz Raja as Chairman of PCB.
Najam Sethi was the Chairman of PCB before Ramiz Raja and Pakistan cricket was in safe hands. But Imran Khan on becoming the prime minister of Pakistan sacked Najam Sethi and offered the coveted post to Ramiz Raja.
On his part, Raja showed haughtiness and arrogance as chairman of PCB and it backfired. Raja showed no sign of democratic norms and functioned as an autocrat like Imran Khan, as Mansoor Ali Khan said in the interview.
Mansoor Ali Khan asked Raja during the course of interview in his studio why the former Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz, who saved Pakistan from defeat against New Zealand last week, is part of bench strength and not in the playing X1 for the last three years, Raja was clueless and evasive.
When Mansoor Ali Khan pointed out that he is being sidelined because he is from Karachi, Raja had no answer and was beating about the bush.
Mansoor Ali Khan then confronted Raja with a question: why Waqar Younis and Misbah were dropped from the coaching team unceremoniously, Raja was found wanting to give a proper answer.
Mansoor Ali Khan then asked Raja nonchalantly: you have officially a very expensive bullet proof car --about 15 million rupees --Raja replied: yes I have a bullet-proof car because there was threat to my life.
Mansoor Ali Khan then grilled him by asking : threat from whom? Raja failed to give a proper answer and digressed to continue the interview. But the most searching question
came from Mansoor Ali Khan when he said: Ramiz tell me why the entire Press fraternity is against you, I have a plethora of complaints from media against you.
Raja was nonplussed and admitted that he had gone overboard and indirectly admitted his guilt which only defines his lopsided personality.
On being sacked, Raja's grouse is that a journalist has been placed as PCB Chairman and he has no knowledge of cricket to tackle cricketing matters.
Raja should know that the Chairman of PCB should have administrative experience and good public relations and not necessarily knowledge of cricket.
Take the analogy of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) whose secretary is Jay Shah with no cricket experience. He is the son of Home Minister of India, Amit Shah.
My counsel to Ramiz Raja is that one is bound to fail in top executive post
If he is not a democrat and unfriendly with colleagues and likewise people. Autocrats do not survive for long is the maxim, Mr. Raja.
Syed Rifaquat Ali is JoA correspondent in Sydney
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Published since July 2008 |
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