LAHORE: Former captain and ambassador of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Ramiz Raja has said that if he had powers to make a call on the matter, he would have never let the young fast bowler play again.
Rameez was quite critical of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) sympathy towards tainted fast bowler Mohammad Amir and said “Pakistan cricket has suffered a lot. I don’t have courage to face any more shocks or jolts again. I have experienced this practically and those who have witnessed such things practically can’t forgive the characters involved in the act.”
“If I had powers to decide on the matter, I would have never let him play again. As I don’t have any powers, I can just critique, or get frustrated, and pray to God to give people some guidance so that they can create pressure and such Johnny’s never come near Pakistan cricket ever again,” said Ramiz, in an interview with DawnNews.
Ramiz has been critical of the attempts at lobbying for the return of the paceman, disgraced for spot-fixing, since last year and said his return would expose the team to the “virus”.
“It is the most awful and sickening feeling. When a bunch of rogues you share the dressing room with are fighting tooth and nail to lose a match, it kills your desire to play the game, and whips up a desire to kill them,” Ramiz had written in his column for Cricinfo.
“Why is the world so keen to see Amir back? The managers of the game, who for whatever reason are trying to fast-track him into the very system that he had wronged, have obviously not experienced the pangs of betrayal and cheating that fixing causes.”
Ramiz, who represented Pakistan in 57 Tests and 158 One-Day Internationals, refused to buy the argument that Amir was naïve when he had committed the crime.
But on Thursday the 23-year-old Amir received the backing of the PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and head coach Waqar Younis. Their support came just as Pakistan suffered heavy defeats in the ODI and T20 series against England. With the World Twenty20 around the corner and Pakistan clearly lacking match-winning bowlers the PCB chief said Amir was “knocking at the door to be considered”.
According to Ramiz, though, the reason for Pakistan’s demise in limited-overs cricket was much more deep-rooted and cosmetic changes were not the answer.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription
