Former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja made a rather explosive remark on the side’s legendary former cricketers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, as he referred to Justice Qayyum report on match-fixing. Akram was a leading figure in the report, was fined and removed from the captaincy. Waqar Younis was also fined after the report was made public. Both, however, returned to Pakistan cricket in coaching roles with Waqar having two separate stints as the side’s head coach. Ramiz Raja, however, stated that if it were in his hands, he would’ve banned the duo forever.
Talking to Samaa TV, Ramiz stated that he was powerless when Akram and Younis were brought back in the system and had no choice but to work with them.
“I think no one should have had the chance (of coming back to Pakistan cricket). If Wasim Akram’s name is in there, and he was censured for not cooperating, right? It was a borderline case. If I was the decision maker at the time, I would’ve banned them forever,” said the former PCB chairman.
“You brought them back to system. I wasn’t in power at the time. We were told to play with them and work with them, and that was it. No one knew how to tackle that. So many people were involved in that. I don’t know what the compulsion was.”
When asked if his stance remains the same on the Pakistan trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Asif – who were also banned after spot-fixing charges in 2010 – he said, “Whoever is tainted, I’ve zero tolerance on it.”
Amir had made a return to Pakistan team years after the charges and represented the side in multiple World tournaments; however, under Ramiz Raja’s tenure, the left-arm pacer was shunned out of the side.
“I’m absolutely clear. People say they’ve had the punishment, move on. But I’ve experienced such situations,” said Ramiz.
