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Tag: Ramiz Raja

  • PCB, cricketing greats among others react to Amir’s exit

    PCB, cricketing greats among others react to Amir’s exit

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reacted to Pakistani paceman Mohammad Amir’s decision to retire from international cricket, saying it was the bowler’s personal decision.

    As per the details, Cricket Pakistan quoted a PCB representative as saying that Amir had been listening to news channels broadcasting news about how he would not be selected to play.

    “Mohammad Amir has not contacted the PCB in this regard. The fast-bowler is not a contracted player and therefore is not bound to discuss this decision with the cricket board. He is completely free to make his own decisions,” the spokesperson said.

    Meanwhile, following Amir’s announcement, reactions started pouring in from cricketing greats among others, including former skipper and selector Inzamamul Haq as well as Pakistan’s Ramiz Raja and Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle.

    Raja described Amir’s departure as an untimely exit of a potential superstar while highlighting this entire episode as a cautionary tale for upcoming youngsters.

    “Mohammad Amir retires. Sad untimely exit of a potential superstar! And a lesson for aspiring youth: Respect your talent and understand your responsibilities. Don’t mistake wealth for respect. Respect is earned by having a strong character and not by worldly glitzy sh*t!” Raja tweeted.

    Bhogle believed that the fast-bowlers career would be remembered for what could have been in the aftermath of the shocking decision.

    “I hope he is content. In cricketing terms he will be remembered for what might have been,” Bhogle tweeted.

    Former skipper Shahid Afridi said that both PCB and Amir were at fault.

    Speaking to Geo, the 45-year-old said that PCB and Amir could have handled the situation better. “Both the management and Amir are responsible. If the elders had not started this, the younger ones would not get a chance to speak,” he said.

    “Why are they communicating through media? They should sit in a room and talk it out,” he added.

    Afridi suggested that Amir should have been more patient while taking such a big decision. “Amir’s decision was also a bit harsh. There are challenges in life that every player faces. Strong and talented cricketers accept those challenges and make comeback with good performances,” he said.

    The former player added that Pakistan cricket needs Amir and that the player still has a lot to offer to the national team. “Pakistan cricket needs Amir. He still has T20 and ODI cricket left in him,” he said. “The pleasure in playing for Pakistan and representing your country is nowhere close to playing league cricket.”

    Afridi said that PCB’s prompt reaction to Amir’s retirement decision showed that they did not have the player in its future plan. “PCB should have discussed its plans with Amir, their immediate reaction showed that their future plan was to keep the player on the sidelines,” he said.

    Senior ruling party member and a close aide of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Senator Faisal Javed Khan, advised the cricket authorities to address the concerns of Amir, saying Pakistan “should not waste a talented player” like Amir.

    He suggested that both parties sit together to sort their differences, asking the cricketer to reconsider his decision to quit Test cricket.

    “No emotional decision please,” the senator added.

    Previously, the pacer had openly expressed his disappointment on social media after New Zealand tour snub besides taking digs at the head and bowling coaches in the recent past.

    “Right now I am leaving cricket. I am being mentally tortured. I don’t think, I will be able to handle this kind of torture because I have been tortured a lot from 2010 to 2015,” Amir said on Thursday.

    “My personal decision to leave Test cricket was taken in a wrong way. My retirement was attached to my desire of playing T20 leagues. I was wishing to invest everything in white-ball cricket for Pakistan. But every now and then someone or the other person came out with a statement. Our bowling coach came out and said, I ditched them, somebody says workload wasn’t properly handled,” he had added.

    mir made his debut for Pakistan in a T20I match against England in June 2009 and was part of the team which won the 2009 T20 World Cup.

    However, his career went downhill after he was found guilty of spot-fixing and was banned for five years. He made his international comeback in 2015 and went on to play an instrumental role in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy triumph in 2017.

  • Google honours Bano Qudsia with a doodle on her 92nd birth anniversary

    Google honours Bano Qudsia with a doodle on her 92nd birth anniversary

    Google is celebrating renowned novelist and playwright Bano Qudsia’s 92nd birth anniversary with a doodle.

    In a statement, Google said: “Today’s Doodle honours the life and legacy of Pakistani novelist and stage and television playwright Bano Qudsia, affectionately known as Bano Aapa (elder sister), who is widely credited as one of the most significant Urdu language authors in modern times.”

    “Renowned for her message of love and hope, Qudsia earned enormous acclaim for Urdu classics like her television play Aadhi Baat (Half Talk, 1968) and novel Raja Gidh (The Vulture King, 1981).”

    Bano Qudsia was born on November 28, 1928, in Firozpur, British India. She began to write short stories when she was a child. After the partition of the subcontinent, she moved to Lahore, where she earned her master’s degree in Urdu. While in school, she also met her future husband and fellow luminary of Urdu literature Ashfaq Ahmad.

    Google further said: “During a fertile era of Pakistani literature, Qudsia’s thought-provoking television plays earned her a reputation as a cultural trendsetter. In addition, she wrote a prolific 25 novels and founded her own magazine called Dastango. Even as her legend grew throughout her six-decade career, she maintained a reputation for her radical acceptance and kindness, known to embrace those from all walks of life who approached her for mentorship or assistance.”

    “Happy birthday, Bano Qudsia! Your contributions to Pakistani literature and entertainment will continue to resonate for generations to come!,” concluded the Google note.

    It is pertinent to add that Qudsia is also the recipient of the prestigious Sitara-e-Imtiaz (1983) and the Hilal-e-Imtiaz (2000).

    Read more – Google celebrates Manto with a colourful doodle

    Meanwhile, cricket commentator Ramiz Raja also remembered the late novelist and recalled the time he played tennis ball cricket at her home and broke her veranda’s tube light.

    “Readying myself for a dressing down, all I got from her instead was a warm expression to know if I was okay,” shared Raja.

  • Hafeez says his 12-year-old son has better game awareness than Ramiz Raja

    Hafeez says his 12-year-old son has better game awareness than Ramiz Raja

    Mohammad Hafeez’s induction into Pakistan’s squad for the New Zealand tour has led to a rift between the all-rounder and cricketer-turned-commentator Ramiz Raja.

    According to reports, the war of words got intensified after Hafeez stated that his 12-year-old son has better game awareness than Raja.

    The episode began after Ramiz Raja showed disinterest over Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) backing experienced players and not giving enough chances to the youth ahead of the upcoming men’s T20 World Cup in India.

    The former Pakistan cricketer asked senior cricketers like Hafeez to retire gracefully and give opportunity to the youngsters to showcase their skills on a stage like the upcoming World Cup.

    Disagreeing to Raja’s views, Hafeez gave a controversial statement during a conversation with Cricket Pakistan.

    “I acknowledge Ramiz [Raja] services for Pakistan cricket as a player. I respect his opinion but I have reservations over his cricketing sense and game awareness. If you talk to my 12-year-old son, even his game awareness is better than Ramiz Bhai,” Hafeez told Cricket Pakistan.

    “If Ramiz bhai wants to continue saying such things to boost his YouTube channel, then I can’t stop him but I will continue to play for Pakistan as long as I’m fit and performing,” he further added.

    Hafeez asserted that as long as he is fit and performing on the field, he deserves a place in the Pakistan dressing room.

    “If I’m unable to meet the fitness and performance standards, or believe there is a better product ready for Pakistan, I’d happily leave. I’m very satisfied with my cricketing career,” Mohammad Hafeez said.

  • Don’t think cricket boards can survive without matches: Ramiz Raja

    Former Pakistan captain-turned-commentator Ramiz Raja thinks cricket boards cannot survive for long without resuming cricket. He urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to hold talks with other associations to find a way to play the sport behind closed doors.

    “Cricket fans are starved now and the coronavirus pandemic has brought life to a standstill but I don’t think cricket boards can survive for long like this. They can’t continue to pay out salaries and expenses without having cricket activities it would be disastrous for them,” Ramiz said in a video on his Youtube channel.

    “I would also urge the PCB to think on these lines and hold talks with other boards to see how cricket activities can be resumed even behind closed doors.”

    The former Test opener said it would be a disaster if this lockdown continues for long.

    “Unless a vaccine can be created, we can only defeat it through social distancing and precautionary measures,” he said. Raja urged the PCB to take the first step in initiating talks with other boards in this regard.

    The COVID-19 pandemic has hit sports hard with Cricket Australia forced to stand down almost 80 percent of its staff.

    The fast-spreading disease has halted all cricket activities across the globe.

  • Pakistani citizenship sought for Qalandars’ Ben Dunk

    Pakistani citizenship sought for Qalandars’ Ben Dunk

    Commentator and former Pakistani cricketing star Ramiz Raja has sought honorary citizenship for Lahore Qalandars’ hard-hitting batsman Ben Dunk, who on Sunday trashed Karachi Kings with his match-winning 99 off 40 balls.

    In a YouTube video, Raja heaped praise upon Australia’s Dunk for his blistering innings against the Kings, suggesting that Pakistan team would benefit from Dunk’s talent if he became a Pakistani citizen.

    “Pakistan has long been missing a hard-hitter like Dunk,” he said.

    “I think the Pakistani government should give him [Dunk] honorary citizenship. We should make him play for Pakistan because my wish is to see a Pakistani batsmen do similar kind of power-hitting. We haven’t seen any Pakistani batsman do this kind of hitting except for Shadab Khan this season.”

    The report comes days after it was announced that West Indian star and captain of Peshawar Zalmi, Darren Sammy, will be given the highest civil award — Nishan-e-Pakistan — and honorary citizenship of the country by President Arif Alvi on March 23 for his “invaluable contribution to cricket in Pakistan”.

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had taken to Twitter to announce it.

    On February 19, the team’s owner Javed Afridi had said the franchise had put in a request to the president to grant the Zalmi skipper honorary citizenship of Pakistan and requested PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani to pursue it personally so that the application is approved.

  • Pakistan not taking any wickets ‘to avoid PM Imran’s wrath’, explains Ramiz Raja

    Pakistan not taking any wickets ‘to avoid PM Imran’s wrath’, explains Ramiz Raja

    Explaining why Pakistani bowlers have been unable to defend 300 plus totals in the last couple of games, commentator and former cricketer Ramiz Raja has made some funny post-match remarks.

    Instead of coming down hard on the team for losing the ODI series to England ahead of ICC World Cup 2019, the former skipper chose to be sarcastic.

    Taking to Twitter to reveal bits of conversation between Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and Pakistan team members, Ramiz shared how the former had called out some team members on “silly wicket-taking celebrations”.

    “Ever since being called out by PM Imran Khan on silly wicket-taking celebrations, this team it seems has decided to not take any wickets to not invite the wrath of the great man! Keeping trouble free, the Pak bowlers,” he tweeted jokingly and added a wink emoji at the end.