‘R.I.P Pakistan Cricket’ – Pakistan Fans express their anger as Najam Sethi replaces Ramiz Raja as PCB chief
Ramiz Raja has been removed as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) by the country’s government, which has appointed a 14-member committee, headed by Najam Sethi, to run the affairs of the game for the next four months. The cricket board elections are to be held within the next four months.
The Pakistan government, through a notification late on Wednesday, removed Raja following the team’s 3-0 whitewash by England in the home Test series. The notification, issued by Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, has to be approved by the federal cabinet, which is just a formality.
The developments on Wednesday confirmed speculation that Sharif, who is the patron-in-chief of the PCB, had decided to appoint Sethi as the new chairman of the country’s cricket body.
Reacting to the development, Sethi on Wednesday took to Twitter and wrote, “The cricket regime headed by Ramiz Raja @iramizraja is no more. The 2014 PCB constitution stands restored. The Management Committee will work tirelessly to revive first class cricket. Thousands of cricketers will be employed again. The famine in cricket will come to an end.”
“Thank you all cricket enthusiasts for welcoming change in PCB affairs. Please wish our team good luck going forward. There is a lot of work to be done and some undone!” he added.
The cricket regime headed by Ramiz Raja @iramizraja is no more. The 2014 PCB constitution stands restored. The Management Committee will work tirelessly to revive first class cricket. Thousands of cricketers will be employed again. The famine in cricket will come to an end.
— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) December 21, 2022
Thank you all cricket enthusiasts for welcoming change in PCB affairs. Please wish our team good luck going forward. There is a lot of work to be done and some undone!
— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) December 22, 2022
Najam Sethi will head the management committee that includes Shahid Afridi
Ramiz Raja served as PCB chairman for 15 months after he was appointed by former premier Imran Khan to head the board in September 2021.
Sethi was the chairman and CEO of the PCB between 2013-2018 and resigned soon after Imran and his party won the 2018 general elections. There was, however, no official word from the PCB or Raja on the latest developments days before the Test series against New Zealand, beginning in Karachi on December 26.
The notification states that the PM has “reviewed” the 2014 constitution of the PCB and abolished the existing constitution made in 2019. As per the notification, Sethi will head the management committee that includes former Pakistan players Shahid Afridi, Haroon Rasheed, Shafqat Rana, and former women’s team captain Sana Mir.
Meanwhile, Twitter was abuzz with reactions on Sethi’s appointment as PCB Chief. Here are some of the Tweets:
REST IN PEACE PAKISTAN CRICKET. AND SHAME ON YOU
— c (@gayomarlic) December 22, 2022
best example of downfall of every single institute, a journalist is preferred over a professional cricketer bcz somehow a cricketer who spent all his life serving cricket is thought to have less knowledge and less administrative experience then a journalist. Kudos..
— Ehzaz Arshid (@Ehzazz) December 22, 2022
U r an example of a domestic dog who barks for his master for the whole day and at the end of the day his master gives him a piece of bone for which he barked for the whole day
— Friendly Gost 👻 (@FriendlyGost202) December 22, 2022
That’s a massive step forward in the right direction. Thousands of cricketers being employed again means grand pool of talent and resources. Sethi sahab tussi pasoori paa chaddi ey fer Rajeyan nu 😉
— Basit Subhani (@BasitSubhani) December 21, 2022
The end of our cricket is near.
— Imy (@PakCricket_) December 21, 2022
No matter people have to say but let me remind them it was YOU who brought international cricket to peaceful Pakistan. Thank you Sethi sb for all your efforts. Thank you!
— Urooj Hussein (@UroojHussein) December 22, 2022
Matlab 2 paisay ki grace aur sharam nahi. Ramiz Raja ko tag kr diya, phir ye bhool gaye ho tum haram ky bachay that he is beyond capable of running PCB, unlike you. Shahbaz Chor ka kya chaat ky aaye ho is position ko harapnay ky liye? Ek cricket baaki hai krdo usko bhi barbaad.
— Samia (@iSamiaAhmed) December 21, 2022
What’s a journalist doing in PCB chairman office? You should not have accepted the position. The Sharifs and the Zardaris do not believe in merit; they give these positions as reward to anyone who has worked for them personally.
— Anita Khan (@AnitaKhan23) December 22, 2022
PCB officials will continue to ask sexual favours from girls? Yay woohoo what an absolute win 🎉https://t.co/iIreF8TnhN
— Zak (@Zakr1a) December 21, 2022
Feel some shame. Inshallah @iramizraja will be back soon again
— sehrish (@Serinasar_) December 21, 2022
https://twitter.com/Insafia46047921/status/1605747731225489408?s=20&t=3gpGBAeznypnqCHJnfMJ2w
Dear Mr najam, its a request please leave cricket out of politics, you don't deserve this place, this place for a cricketers not for you, there is any one department in Pakistan which is work on merit. I think none
— ark (@8941ac3252f749e) December 22, 2022
No one can take away credit from @iramizraja for doing so many good things for @TheRealPCB
Atleast Pak manage to beat INDIA in WCs first time, he was aggressive bold Vs IND which no one in the past✅ Except Gen Tauqir Zia— CRICKETEER UPDATES 🎉🎊🏏 (@786_naqi) December 21, 2022
