'Najam Sethi and His Thugs': Ramiz Raja Says He Was Ousted Due to Politics In Cricket

KARACHI: Recently ousted Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ramiz Raja, publicly cited “political interference” in amending the cricket board’s constitution to accommodate Najam Sethi and “his thugs.”

These comments come after a major shift in the Pakistani cricket administration when PM Shehbaz Shariff on 21st Dec approved the appointment of former journalist Najam Sethi as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, ousting Ramiz Raja.

Veteran Cricketer and former Chairman PCB in a video on his YouTube channel “Fan Forum with Ramiz Raja” answered questions posed by public. He explicitly stated that a political drama was created to replace him with Sethi.

In the video, in response to the question, Raja said, “No political interference should be allowed in cricket.”

“It’s the middle of the season when we are hosting the international cricket you are changing the regime of the cricket board, this is not the way,” added Ramiz Raja.

Calling his dismal disrespectful, Raja noted: “Najam Sethi tweeted at 2:00 am of the night that Ramiz Raja has been ousted”, begging people to congratulate him.

The cricket regime headed by Ramiz Raja @iramizraja is no more. The 2014 PCB constitution stands restored. The Management Committee will work tirelessly to revive first class cricket. Thousands of cricketers will be employed again. The famine in cricket will come to an end.
— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) December 21, 2022

“It seems they are a leaders of cricket and can jack up the cricket activities from ground to sky,” Raja added in indignation.

“They are not changing the management of cricket for the sake of advance, they just want their limelight,” said the former chairman, adding that they have, “nothing to do with cricket and they’ve never picked up a bat and then they’re appointed as the chairman.”

“It is very frustrating,” described Ramiz Raja, “your tenure is three years long and you were ousted within 12 months through political interference to political enlistment.” The situation built the pressure on the board, management, cricket team, and the captain of the team, Raja said.

“You changed the entire [PCB] Constitution to bring in one person, Najam Sethi, and to adjust him. I’ve never seen this anywhere else in the world,” said Raja.

He vowed to raise this issue on the international forum, adding “people are angry with the act.”