The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer has responded to former PCB chief Ramiz Raja’s claims that he was not only sacked from his post but was ill-treated as well on his last day in office.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif appointed Najam Sethi as the new PCB chief and head of the 14-member committee that will run the operations of the PCB for a few months.
Ehsan Mani was made the PCB chief after Sethi resigned as Imran Khan became the Pakistan PM and then in 2021, Ramiz Raja was appointed the chief of the board replacing Mani.
Though Pakistan reached the finals of the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup in 2022, their failure to win either of the tournament and poor performance in Test cricket led to calls for the removal of Ramiz Raja as PCB chief.
Raja’s conduct as the representative of Pakistan cricket was under the microscope as well with his behavior being questioned repeatedly. He defended the Pakistani team after their Test series loss to Australia and then 0-3 whitewash at the hands of England, which was the final nail in the coffin of Raja’s tenure as PCB chief.
Returning to YouTube on his ‘Ramiz Speaks’ channel, Raja said: “Aisa inhone hamla kiya cricket board mein aake. Mera saman bhi nahi lene diya inlogo ne. Subah yeh 9 baje, 17 bande dhandate fir rahe they cricket board mein. Jaise ki koi FIA ka chapa par gaya." (They way they attacked the cricket board. They didn't even let me take my stuff. Early morning at 9 around 17 guys stormed at the office, which felt as if the Federal Investigation Agency of Pakistan has raided the office).”
The PCB has taken note of Raja's explosive comments and also issued a clarification on the matter related to him not being allowed to collect his stuff from the office.
Salman Naseer, the COO of PCB, tweeted and confirmed that Ramiz’s belongings were collected by him and are safely kept in PCB custody and will be returned to the former Pakistan captain as part of the usual handing over process.
