Tag: Ramiz Raja

  • ECB chief Tom Harrison flies to Pakistan in bid to repair relations between England cricket and PCB

    ECB chief Tom Harrison flies to Pakistan in bid to repair relations between England cricket and PCB

    England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Tom Harrison will meet with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, as well as Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja, in a bid to repair relations with Pakistan in the wake of last month’s cancelled T20I tour.

    Read More – New Zealand cancels Pak series due to ‘security concerns’ despite PM Khan’s call to NZ PM

    Officials at the PCB were enraged when England pulled out of the two-match tour at short notice a few weeks ago.

    Now Harrison has flown in to assure Ramiz, the new chairman of the PCB, that England remain committed to their Test tour of the country at the end of 2022. England have not toured Pakistan since late 2005.

    He is also set to meet with PM Khan, Pakistan’s greatest allrounder and World Cup-winning captain, prior to his move into politics, who also serves as patron-in-chief of the PCB.

    Speaking in the wake of the cancelled T20I tour, which followed hot on the heels of New Zealand’s abandonment of their own tour on the morning of their opening ODI in Rawalpindi, Ramiz hit out at what he called cricket’s “western bloc”, and said that the PCB would be making contingency plans to protect their home itinerary in the event of another England pull-out next year.

    Reportedly, Harrison’s trip is only expected to last a couple of days. He is due in the UAE later in the week as the ICC hold their first in-person chief executives’ meeting since the start of the pandemic.

    The news came after Cricket Australia announced its plans for a three-Test, three-ODI and one T20I tour in March-April 2022. If it goes ahead as planned, it will be their first tour of the country since 1998.

  • PCB announces schedule of West Indies tour of Pakistan

    PCB announces schedule of West Indies tour of Pakistan

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced the schedule of the upcoming West Indies tour of Pakistan.

    As per the schedule, the Windies will arrive in Karachi on December 9 to play three T20Is and an equal number of ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches in Pakistan.

    The series will kickstart from December 13 and will last till December 22, as per the cricket board.

    The December ODIs will form part of Pakistan’s fourth series in the Super League, which will see the top seven sides and the event host India qualify directly for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 with the remaining two sides progressing from the qualifying event.

    “After missing out on home internationals in September and October, the West Indies tour will formally kick-off of an exciting and entertaining season of men’s international cricket in Pakistan with HBL Pakistan Super League 2022 and Australia’s first full series to follow,” said PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja.

    “The West Indies have always remained one of Pakistan cricket fans’ favourite sides. I am hopeful that the NCOC will support this series by allowing maximum crowds so that the fans can watch live in action their favourite players and back both the sides,” he added.

    Schedule:

    Dec 9 – West Indies arrival in Karachi

    Dec 13 – 1st T20I, Karachi

    Dec 14 – 2nd T20I, Karachi

    Dec 16 – 3rd T20I, Karachi

    Dec 18 – 1st ODI, Karachi

    Dec 20 – 2nd ODI, Karachi

    Dec 22 – 3rd ODI, Karachi

    Dec 23 – Departure

  • ‘Treat injured woman cricketer with Babar’s India match fee’: says Babar’s father

    ‘Treat injured woman cricketer with Babar’s India match fee’: says Babar’s father

    Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam’s father, Azam Siddique, has asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to treat woman cricketer Bisma Amjad through the captain’s match fee, which he had received in the T20 World Cup fixture against India.

    “I request PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja to immediately make arrangements for national cricketer Bisma Amjad’s treatment,” Siddique said in an Instagram post.

    Following her treatment, the board officials, according to Geo News, had rejected to pay for her medical bills after which the woman cricketer began to weep. At this, someone offered to pay for her expenses.

    Later, after the cricket board was severely pummeled on social media, the PCB issued a statement, saying that Bisma Amjad suffered a concussion during a women’s training camp at the Sindh regional academy.

    “The PCB, as a responsible organisation is continuing to look after her wellbeing as well as treatment expenses,” it added.

    Azam’s father was referring to the October 24 match in which Pakistan had beaten India by 10 wickets during the ongoing T20 World Cup.

    Meanwhile, in a video statement, Amjad also confirmed that she had suffered a head injury during a practice session, following which the PCB officials had taken her to a private hospital.

    “I am feeling better after PCB had me treated at a private hospital,” she added.

  • Pakistani cricketers mourn the loss of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan

    Pakistani cricketers mourn the loss of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan

    Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan passed away on Sunday after a long fight with his illness. Many cricketers including Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar and others took to Twitter to express their distress.

    While former cricketer and Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also extended his condolences for the great Pakistani scientist.

    Dr Khan was admitted to a local hospital where his health deteriorated early morning on Sunday. PTV said that the nuclear scientist died after being transferred to a hospital with lung problems.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter and wrote that Dr Khan was loved by the nation because of his critical contribution to making Pakistan a nuclear weapon state.

    A large number of people, including cabinet members, parliamentarians and military officers, attended the funeral prayers of the national icon.

  • ‘ICC a politicised body, we need to reduce our dependence on it’: Ramiz Raja

    ‘ICC a politicised body, we need to reduce our dependence on it’: Ramiz Raja

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja has disclosed that 50 per cent of the board’s budget is based around the funds it gets from the International Cricket Council (ICC) whose “revenues are generated mainly from India”.

    Appearing before the Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial affairs on Thursday in Islamabad, Ramiz said it was time for PCB to reduce its dependence on funding from the ICC and start tapping the local market.

    “ICC is a politicised body divided between the Asian and Western blocs and 90 per cent of its revenues are generated from India,” the PCB Chairman said.

    Ramiz said the ICC had become more of an event management company and PCB would have to make its voice heard if it does not want a repeat of the cancellation of confirmed series by New Zealand and England.

    What New Zealand did was unacceptable because till now they have not shared any information with us on what led them to abandon the series in Pakistan. But they are now trying to reschedule the series, he said.

    Ramiz hinted of some good news regarding the postponed New Zealand series in a week’s time.

    He indicated that the New Zealand cricket board was working on a new schedule to tour Pakistan.

    Read More – Ramiz Raja ‘erroneously’ tweets about ECB chairman’s resignation, deletes later

    Senator Raza Rabbani suggested that Pakistan should now not play against New Zealand and refuse any series but Ramiz pointed out that this would not be possible as Pakistan was part of the international cricket community.

    The good thing is that they are working on something, which means they want to amend things with us, he said.

    The New Zealand cricket team had arrived in Pakistan on September 11 for the first time in 18 years to play three ODIs and five Twenty20 Internationals but left on September 19 without playing any match after their government and security agencies advised them to return home citing “security concerns”.

    Ramiz, in a candid briefing to the senators, also made it clear that he would unveil his plans for Pakistan cricket and the board in a week or 10-days’ time while in four weeks’ time he would have his team ready.

    Read More – New Zealand cricket chief open to rescheduling of abandoned Pakistan series

    “To me, it is simple if the national team cannot do well and win matches, it means that everyone in the board from the tea man to the top official have failed in their duties,” he said.

  • Ramiz Raja ‘erroneously’ tweets about ECB chairman’s resignation, deletes later

    Ramiz Raja ‘erroneously’ tweets about ECB chairman’s resignation, deletes later

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja on Thursday issued an apology for “erroneously” tweeting about his English counterpart’s resignation from his office.

    Read More – ‘ECB announcement to visit Pakistan a welcome step forward’: Fawad

    England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Chairman, Ian Watmore, resigned earlier in the day after increasing pressure since the cancellation of England’s tour to Pakistan, The Times had reported.

    “The earlier tweet was erroneously put on my Twitter account. Apologies,” Raja said, who had given strong remarks after England had decided to cancel their tour of Pakistan following New Zealand’s pull out.

    England’s men and women teams were due to play two Twenty20s in Rawalpindi on October 13 and 14. The women’s team were also due to play three ODIs in Pakistan on October 17, 19, and 21.

    In his now-deleted tweet, Raja shared the news of ECB chief’s resignation as a breaking news.

    Tweeple were not happy with him for expressing his views as the Chairman of PCB.

    https://twitter.com/zeeshanali38/status/1446399752225136643?s=20

  • Ramiz Raja chides Basit Ali for calling him ‘Rambo’ during meeting

    Ramiz Raja chides Basit Ali for calling him ‘Rambo’ during meeting

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja on Friday got angry at provincial coach Basit Ali for calling him “Rambo” in a virtual meeting.

    According to 24 News, Raja held a virtual meeting with the six provincial coaches in which some of his old colleagues were also included.

    During the meeting, the head coach of the Sindh province and former Pakistan Test batsman, Basit Ali, who was also a friend of Ramiz, called him “Rambo”.

    Ramiz strongly reacted to this with some aggression and said, what happened Mr Basit, I am the chairman of the PCB. You should speak consciously, he sternly replied to him.

    After Ramiz’s aggressive reply to Basit, all the coaches got serious.

    In the meeting, the PCB chairman also slammed another coach Shahid Aslam on his friendly attitude and advised him strictly that he should coach and don’t try to pay for friendships.

    Meanwhile, he also warned the coaches that either they perform well or go home.

  • PCB CEO Wasim Khan resigns: Report

    PCB CEO Wasim Khan resigns: Report

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Cheif Executive Officer (CEO) Wasim Khan has reportedly resigned from his post on Wednesday.

    As per a report by Geo News, Khan gave his resignation in a meeting with PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja a day earlier. It was also reported that PCB Board of Governors will review the situation in a meeting today (Wednesday).

    Khan was taken on board by former PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani in 2019 to run the affairs of the board on modern lines, on a three-year contract, which was set to expire in 2022.

    Khan’s resignation comes as newly appointed PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja called for a complete overhaul of the system. At his inaugural press conference, he had called for resetting Pakistan cricket’s compass and direction.

    It also comes after head coach Misbahul Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis resigned from their posts with the 2021 T20 World Cup just around the corner

  • ‘This western bloc gets united’: Ramiz Raja reacts on England, New Zealand tour pullout

    ‘This western bloc gets united’: Ramiz Raja reacts on England, New Zealand tour pullout

    Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja on Monday expressed his disappointment over England Cricket Board’s (ECB) decision to call off the men’s and women’s cricket tours.

    Raja said England has failed a member of their cricket fraternity when it needed it the most.

    “Disappointed with England, pulling out of their commitment & failing a member of their Cricket fraternity when it needed it most. Survive we will inshallah,” Ramiz Raja tweeted.

    “I am severely disappointed in England’s withdrawal but it was expected because this western bloc gets united unfortunately and tries to back each other. So you can take any decision on the basis of security threat and perception. There was a sense of anger because first New Zealand got away without sharing information about the threat they were facing,” said the 1992 World Cup team member in a video shared by the PCB.

    The PCB chairman further said that it is a wake up call for Pakistan team to become the best for other teams to line up to play against them without making excuses.

    “A wake up call for Pakistan team to become the best team in the world for teams to line up to play them without making excuse,” he said.

    ECB on Monday announced that it has has reluctantly decided to withdraw both men’s and women’s teams from the tour to Pakistan.

    “The ECB Board convened this weekend to discuss these extra England Women’s and Men’s games in Pakistan and we can confirm that the Board has reluctantly decided to withdraw both teams from the October trip,” an ECB statement read.

  • PCB to take tough stance against New Zealand

    PCB to take tough stance against New Zealand

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly decided to take a tough stance against the New Zealand Cricket Team (NZC) at the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting, according to Geo News’ sources.

    The board has decided to contact influential players and commentators from around the world and seek their support in this matter.

    The ICC board meeting will be held during the upcoming T20 World Cup. The World Cup is scheduled to be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman from October 17 to November 14.

    Prior to this Prime Minister, Imran Khan spoke personally to the Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and informed her that Pakistan has one of the best intelligence systems in the world and that no security threat of any kind exists for the visiting team, PCB has confirmed.

    Earlier, Chairman PCB Ramiz Raja had said that New Zealand will hear Pakistan at the ICC meeting. Terming the abrupt decision as a “crazy day”, the chairman added that he felt sorry for fans and the players.

    Last week, PCB, in its press release, revealed that New Zealand Cricket authorities unilaterally called off the ODI and T20 series without taking them into confidence and had not shared any details about the threats with the board or Pakistan’s security agencies.