"Characters’" like Sharjeel Khan don't deserve Pakistan comeback, says Ramiz Raja

Raja slammed the society for tolerating the debate of Sharjeel's return.

Sharjeel Khan | Getty Images

With the speculations making rounds that Sharjeel Khan could make comeback to professional cricket soon, Ramiz Raja, former Pakistan captain turned cricket commentator, has expressed his displeasure at the same, saying there should be zero tolerance for the ‘characters’ like the tainted batsman.

The left-hander was found guilty of spot-fixing during the 2017 edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) playing for Islamabad United and since then, he has been on the side-lines for the last two and a half years, serving his period of ban.

Now, Sharjeel’s ban finished on August 10 and he has reportedly approached the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to allow him to resume playing, probably with the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in September.  

However, the PCB has made it clear that the opener could be allowed to resume playing only if he accepts his wrongdoing and attends Anti-Corruption rehabilitation programme like Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, but Raja believes that he should not be given another chance.

As per reports in Business Recorder, Raja stated: “I am really disappointed because have we not found any batsman in the past two, three years, that we are bound to approach such characters [Sharjeel Khan] that tainted the Pakistan cricket. How can the society tolerate such a debate?”

He signed off by saying, “These men don’t even learn from their mistakes and there is a trail of such absurdities giving a bad name to Pakistan. We should have zero tolerance on these things, as we would get the talent and, in a year, or so our opening that is already doing well would get better.”

(With Business Recorder Inputs)

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 13 Aug, 2019

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