Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja on Friday (November 11) took a dig at Team India after their ouster from the T20 World Cup 2022, saying Pakistan players are better than the billion-dollar league cricketers.
Team India bowed out of the ongoing T20 World Cup Down Under with a 10-wicket thrashing at the hands of England in the semi-final at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday (November 10).
England will now face Pakistan in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday (November 13).
“Billion dollar ki industry waali teams peeche rah gayi hai aur hum upar nikal gaye hai (Teams with billion dollar leagues are falling behind us). We are doing something right,” Ramiz told reporters upon his arrival in Australia.
Amid the speculations, the PCB chief also cleared the air on the possibility of the India-Pakistan Test series in Australia.
Recently, former Australia all-rounder Simon O’Donnell said that Australia has offered to host a Test series between India and Pakistan.
“I don’t have any such knowledge about the Test series to be played between India and Pakistan,” said Ramiz.
Ramiz Raja also pointed out the striking similarities between Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2022 campaign and the triumphant journey in 1992.
“There are striking similarities to the 1992 campaign. There is an air of invincibility, a self-belief like in 92. Back then, we knew that even if the opposition played with 15 in the final, we were not going to lose,” he stated.
In fact, Ramiz feels Babar Azam and his men are more relaxed than Imran Khan’s 1992 World Cup-winning team.
“Babar XI are more relaxed than us. We were bit scared before the final. They are enjoying the moment, and it is heartening to see,” he said.
Ramiz Raja also opened up on his interaction with the team before the all-important final.
“I have given them the reference of the 1992 World Cup final. Speech ye thi ki 90 hazaar log hai bahar ye mauka humare career mey waapis aane nahi hai, enjoy kare aur match jeete, maine exactly wahi repeat kiya jo humare kaptaan (Imran Khan) ne 1922 mey kaha tha (I repeated what exactly Imran Khan told us in team meeting. he said 90 thousand people are outside; this moment is not coming back in our careers; we need to enjoy the game and win it,” he said.
“Jo aapne karna hai wo aapne kar liya hai, aapki technique 24 ghanton mey kharab nahi ho sakti, ye ab mental game hai (They have done everything, their techniques will not suffer in 25 hours. It is just a mental game.”
“In the finals, there are no clear favourites, it will be a 50-50 game,” he said.
Ramiz showered rich praise on Babar Azam, saying that the Pakistan captain has a chance to leave behind a great legacy.
“I always wanted to see a strong captain. This is a basic principle in cricket. It is not football, where people from the sidelines are calling the shots. Babar has the chance of greatness and leaving a great legacy behind. There won’t be a bigger achievement than this in his career if he manages to lift the world cup,” he remarked.
(The Indian Express inputs)
