Former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and batter Ramiz Raja recently said that he has always found love in India and from Indian cricket fans. Talking on his YouTube channel, Raja, however, said that he had to take difficult decisions as an administrator. Along with this, he also raised questions about the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Raja also mentioned his statement in which he said that if the Indian Cricket Board does not send its team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup in 2023, then Pakistan would consider boycotting the 2023 World Cup in India. This statement of Raja came after the statement of Jai Shah, in which Shah said that the Indian team will not go to Pakistan for the Asia Cup.
“I have great regard for Indian fans and have absolutely enjoyed my stints in India. Cricket is meant to break barriers and transcend boundaries. The problem comes when you are leading a country or a cricket board. You need to make certain tough decisions. In India, people see these decisions from a different perspective, while in Pakistan, we look at our own benefits,” Raja said on his YouTube channel.
“It all started when India decided not to tour Pakistan for the Asia Cup and were against conducting the tournament here. We all know that there has been a famine in cricket in Pakistan, given that the big teams weren’t keen to travel here for tours. We got a major tournament after a very long wait, and that is why we had to take a stand,” he said.
‘When you try to boss any country, it hurts’- Ramiz Raja
Raja gave the instance of England and New Zealand as both teams were hosted by Pakistan in recent times and he also talked about the Indian Cricket Board’s decision of not sending the Indian team to Pakistan for the upcoming Asia Cup and said that it was not right.
“Leadership is very important when you are running cricket. England refused to come to Pakistan, but they came when we challenged them. The same goes for New Zealand. Both teams agreed to play extra matches. We had to take a stand because something unfair was happening.
“Not letting the Asia Cup take place in Pakistan, that too without any conversation, or any committee was not right. No other member of the Asia Cup had any idea about it. When you try to boss any country, it hurts. So in India, they would paint this situation differently. They would think, ‘How can Pakistan challenge us? They don’t have any existence,” he added.
