We are driven to desperation, it is not our fault: Ramiz Raja-News

Ramiz Raja is one of Imran Khan’s “horned tigers” who roared back from his most desperate position and won the 1992 World Cup.

No wonder Raja showed the same spirit 29 years later, despite the recent off-court cricket turmoil facing his country.

After New Zealand and England disputed the cancellation of the tour, the newly appointed Pakistan Cricket Committee (PCB) chairman vowed to tide over the difficulties, which dealt a huge blow to a country that has made great efforts to bring international cricket back to its country. . Lahore attacked the Sri Lanka team in 2009.

When accepting an exclusive interview Khaliji Times, Raja said, now Pakistan has the responsibility to become a strong cricket economy-no one in the world cricket circle can ignore this.

Q: Recently, when we congratulated you on your appointment as the chairman of PCB, you said: “This is a difficult pitch, but you must have a good attitude and try my best.” Now that New Zealand and England withdrew from the trip to Pakistan, the stadium has become more difficult…

Yes, this is only my seventh day in PCB, but it looks like I have been here for seven years. But, you know, I withstood the storm. After playing the game, I know how to become strong in temperament. So yes, a difficult start, but I will make sure we do a good job at this stage.

Q: The New Zealand Series and England T20 may be a brilliant moment for Pakistan’s games and fans. But what happened is unfortunate because Pakistan has put in a lot of effort to bring international cricket back to the country…

If you look at the press statement, the point is that England did not cite security at all. It says that the players are tired, they have been living in a bubble, and may have been frightened by New Zealand being pulled out. So what I really feel frustrated is that we are dealing with a Western mentality. New Zealand changed their travel advice after they withdrew from tourism. They have no local intelligence in Pakistan. We don’t know if this is a prank, because nothing was shared. This is a unilateral decision. Let us be very clear that we are talking about the most battle-tested security agency in the world. But you don’t share your threat? Based on the information you received from the Oakland Intelligence Agency, don’t share anything with them, just take off! And did not realize what the price of Pakistan cricket would be. You know, we have taken thousands of steps to come here, restarting cricket in Pakistan, and all the hard work and all the good things we have done through PSL (Pakistan Super League), inviting the world XI, inviting other countries, Then you suddenly see that unacceptable knee-jerk reaction.

Q: But foreign players, including big-name players from England, Australia and New Zealand, seem to have no problem playing PSL in Pakistan…

The point is that when they are together as a group (for Pakistan’s bilateral series), they have different views. But when they come alone, even if they oppose travel advice, they will come here. So the New Zealanders are here, the British are here, and the Australians are here. So I mean even (foreign) commentators have come. You know, our commentary team has Dominic Cork. So here he is, it makes no sense at all.

Question: Do Western countries have different standards for responding to security threats? One hour before the start of the first game in Rawalpindi, New Zealand withdrew from the Pakistan Tour. However, despite the terrorist attack in London, every game of the 2017 ICC Championship Trophy was played in England. So the Pakistan Cricket Brotherhood really has reason to be angry…

You know. Unless you are a strong cricket economy, this is what I asked my sponsors to become. Now I will give my full support to us to ensure that we can survive well and be glorious as a cricket economy. Then become the best team in the world, it’s that simple. So it is difficult for the team to refuse to play with us. But the key is that they use us and then they lock us up, which is not only acceptable.

Q: Have you talked to the players? They must be demoralized now…

I haven’t done this yet. I think I might say a word on the 22nd (Wednesday).

Q: You have challenged the Pakistan team to eliminate their frustration by playing their best cricket in the T20 World Cup. That is an uplifting cry…

Yes, that’s true. But, you know, this is a good route. You don’t want to give them too much emphasis and emphasis, but we have to be on the same page and say that this is what we want from you-your best, so the whole world realizes that the Pakistan team is angry. And the best way to vent it is to take it out against the opposition. I mean, this is our only reaction to this situation, because we were driven to desperation to some extent. We have been driven to desperation, it is not our fault. You know that nothing happened, but we made the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Q: You want Pakistan to be the best team, so no team can refuse to play against them anywhere in the world. But what steps need to be taken to ensure that Pakistan has a solid domestic structure to produce a first-rate international team-just like the team you played in the 1980s and 1990s?

Sadly, you know, our club cricket is almost dead because we have been trying to build a first-class system for the past year and a half. I am restoring the club structure and there is already a school championship in Punjab, which is actually great. So this is about ensuring that your club level is in good shape, because what we see at the top is a reflection of our first-class system. Unless we solve this problem, we cannot become one of the best teams in the world. You know, on the day I took office, a reserve of 100,000 rupees was added, so now 200 players will add 100,000 rupees. We are talking about introducing first-class careers for these players. Therefore, a top A-level player can earn 5 million (5 million) rupees per year just by playing top-notch cricket, which is not a small sum. Players can focus on the game without worrying about finances, because the dispute between provincial cricket and departmental cricket is fierce. I think there is uncertainty in the system. The players feel uneasy, so through this step, they have a direction, they are financially secure, I believe this will have a positive impact.

Ritulaj Borkacotti

As a big fan of the Argentine national football team, Rituraj usually writes sports articles. But he cherishes the time spent in interviews with his favorite musicians from the Indian state of Assam. He likes to bring interesting human stories to the readers of Khaleej Times.