Back-up plan on cards ahead of Kiwis, England tour in 2022: Rameez Raja
NZ, Eng to visit in 2022, to prepare back-up plans in case touring party decides not to tour again
LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Rameez Raja has said that the New Zealand and England teams will visit Pakistan again in 2022, so the PCB will prepare back-up plans ahead of their trip.
In his first ever interview after becoming the PCB chairman with Dunya News program ‘Dunya Kamran Khan Kay Saath’, Rameez Raja said that the morale of international cricketers is always high and many steps have been taken to revive cricket in Pakistan. “Now is the time to talk openly. The PCB will prepare back-up plans for the home Test and ODI series against Kiwis and England in 2022 in case the touring party decides not to tour again.”
The PCB Chairman continued that the New Zealand cricket team has fled Pakistan. “England has no excuse because there is no problem of security. I will present my stance in the ICC; every cricket board has its own significance. There is no politics in the International Cricket Council (ICC). The England Cricket Board (ECB) took a senseless decision.”
He said that the New Zealand and England cricket teams have to come again in 2022. “Now the chairman of the PCB is a cricketer. We will now prepare our backup plan. We will now invite them on our terms and conditions,” he added.
“It has not been seven days since I took the charge as the chairman of PCB, my plan is 100 days, i have increased the money for first class players. We will bring young players in the cricket team and all players in the team should be given full respect,” he maintained.
The PCB chairman said that the purpose of bringing in new players is to change the mindset of the players and they will work to make the Pakistani team number one, adding that the national team has been selected for the World Cup. “I completely back my selection and there may be a tweeting over the selection of one or two players,” he explained.
Rameez Raja said that he was not ready to face bouncers after taking the charge of the PCB, adding that the Pakistani team will now have to respond with performance. “The current pressure build-up by the situation would be eliminated through performance. Pakistan team needs to understand because everyone is keeping eye at them,” he concluded.
