Just a day after Pakistan suffered a massive 3-0 loss against England in their home in Tests, Ramiz Raja was fired from the chairman post of the Pakistan Cricket Board. As per reports, Ramiz Raja has been fired and Najam Sethi has been appointed as the new chairman of the PCB. Ramiz Raja was appointed for the role in September 2021. Reportedly, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday approved Sethi's appointment as the new PCB chairman. Notably, Ramiz Raja sacking news comes at a time when reports were emerging that all was not well between skipper Babar Azam and the PCB.
Ramiz Raja and Babar Azam controversy
Pakistan vs England Test series was a center of controversies. While the Pakistan Cricket Board has been under the scanner for preparing 'dead' pitches, it's now Babar Azam who is not happy with the PCB. In fact, reports suggest that infuriated Babar Azam refused to take the field on the Day of Pakistan vs England 3rd Test after he was denied to go out for dinner from the hotel with his team-mates and family by the security forces. Initially, it was believed that Babar was unwell, but former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has revealed that it was a form of protest on the skipper's part after the hotel security had stopped him from going out for dinner the night before.
As per Pakistani media reports, Babar and a few players were supposed to head out for a meal but the security targetted Babar in particular refusing him to go out. The intrusive security measures left Babar furious, as a result of which he stayed off the field with Mohammad Rizwan dictating proceedings. Rashid Latif was quoted by local media who said, "An incident took place last night. It has come out in the media that is why I am revealing it, otherwise I wouldn't have. The players were supposed to go out for dinner with family. The security needs to be made aware of it. The players, including Azhar Ali, Imam Ul Haq and Babar Azam had informed them. But when they reached the lobby and were about to get inside the car, the security told Babar that he can't go out and the rest cannot. So no one went."
Babar Azam vs PCB: Pak skipper refuses to take the field in 3rd Test vs England; Here's why
However, the reason may not be Pakistan's humiliating loss against England and neither can be his rift with Babar. Ramiz Raja was appointed by Pakistan PM Imran Khan and with Shahbaz Shariif taking over the country, it was Raja's sacking was inevitable.
Ramiz Raja and PCB
Raja, who was nominated directly on August 27, 2021 by the then Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, is the fourth Test cricketer to become chairman after Ijaz Butt, Javed Burki and Abdul Hafeez Kardar. It was Raja's second stint with the PCB, after serving as the PCB chief executive from 2003 to 2004.