The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has continued to make matters worse for its team. As the Babar Azam-led side suffered two consecutive losses in the 3-match series against England, the board decided to sack 7 players from the roster while also replacing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul. While 7 new players are yet to be given their visas for the flight to the United Kingdom ahead of the third Test, which starts on September 09, the departures have been announced.
Ramiz Raja, launching a scathing attack at the PCB, said that the board has created a ‘world record’ by announcing so many mass sackings in the middle of a series.
“A lot of shock,” Raja said when asked about the mid-series changes. “This is not done in cricket. And so why have they done it? Obviously, they’re feeling the heat. But in any circumstances during the series, this has never happened.”
Ramiz struggled to hide his frustration as the PCB’s haphazard decision-making makes Pakistan a subject of mockery on the global cricketing spectrum.
“So Pakistan have actually created a world record,” he said. “I am really, really not happy with this situation.
“This is more like football, midway through the season, you fire the manager,” Raja said. “But this is a series that is happening. So they could have easily waited for another 10 days before taking a call.”
Ramiz further branded PCB’s decision as ‘selfish’, saying such calls make the team individualistic. He also wondered what the board plans to do next if the incoming players fail to perform too.
“I still am trying to convince myself that this is all okay,” Raja said. “It just shows Pakistan cricket has hit a panic button and it’s not good for the game, not good for the confidence of the players who have left and not good for the confidence of the players who have come in.”
“It makes you a selfish team, it makes you an individualistic team,” Raja said. “And what is the guarantee that they will get the results also?”
“This is mass culling. It’s a plethora of so many things that have happened. It’s gone haywire,” he said.
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When asked how Pakistan can fix the situation, Ramiz said he was clueless: “If you ask me how to fix it, I have no idea. I really have no idea.”
In fact, he isn’t expecting anything to change until the PCB changes its approach. “The next year or so is going to be as turbulent as the last year or two,” he said.
Ramiz, who has been the PCB chairman in the past, was also disappointed by the removal of coaches Sarfaraz and Gul.
“Once you remove a coach. In this instance, you have thrown out Sarfaraz Ahmed, his deputy Umar Gul,” he said. “These are cricketers who have done so well for Pakistan over the years. But they have been booted out.”
“I don’t know what will happen to the psyche of the team and the ex-cricketers,” Raja said. “Who would want a job with Pakistan cricket if they are not respected?”
