Former batsman Ramiz Raja bemoaned Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) lack of strict policy for national cricketers found proven guilty of spot or match-fixing. Ramiz said he would rather see such players "open grocery stores" but never allow them to wear the Pakistani jersey again.
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"You ask me I would say these tainted cricketers should open their grocery shops," said Ramiz on former India Test batsman Aakash Chopra's youtube channel, referring to someone like Mohammad Amir, the young pacer, who was allowed back despite a prolonged ban for proven involvement in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal.
Another player, Sharjeel Khan, who had been found guilty in the 2017 PSL spot-fixing controversy, was yet allowed to play for Karachi Kings this year, with talks of his national comeback only increasing with time.
"There is once again talks of redrafting Sharjeel Khan into the team which is not right and can damage Pakistan cricket," Ramiz added.
The 57-year-old also fears for the kind of environment that the authorities are providing for world-class players like Babar Azam to flourish.
"There is no doubt about Babar Azam’s ability, he is a world-class player," said Ramiz. "When people ask me about comparison between Babar Azam with the likes of Virat Kohli and Steve Smith I would say he can do even better than Kohli but he needs a conducive atmosphere and the freedom to express himself more as a player and as captain."
Ramiz then had a word of healthy advise for head coach and chief selector Misbah Ul Haq with regards to his selection policy.
"I have nothing personal against Muhammad Hafeez or Shoaib Malik who are senior players and have served the country for a long time," he said. "But I think now the selectors need to think about replacing them with youngsters and groom them properly."
(Inputs from PTI)
