Ramiz Raja offers advice to former cricketers when speaking about Pakistan team

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has voiced his support for the national team while urging caution in public statements from fans and ex-players.

In a recent interview with a local channel, Raja emphasized the importance of building a narrative based on truth and careful consideration, especially during challenging times. 

“I understand that people get frustrated and say things (out of frustration), but I believe that the ex-players should be careful in building their narrative on the truth. You don’t have to give such statements right now. What you need to do is look at what needs to be done from the ground up. The process is a long one, and it won’t be achieved overnight,” Raja said.

Expressing concern over recent instability within the team, Raja noted, “The team is already unsettled and has been unsettled for quite some time due to constant changes at the board level. It is just not possible that the team did not get affected by it. It was apparent, the confusion regarding the selection and bringing back players from retirement and then we lost a game.

“Our performance has been at the borderline for quite some time, we received a wake-up call long ago and now you are going to give a knee-jerk reaction by making emotional decisions. England also returned like us from the Cricket World Cup in 2022. They did not remove Jos Buttler from the captaincy and they kept the same nucleus and further rectified their mistakes because they had to move forward,” he said.

The former PCB chief also praised the talent within the Pakistani team, calling them "future stars" who need consistent support and guidance. 

, “All of these players are ours. They are future stars of Pakistan. Except for three or four players, the rest of the team is full of future assets. If you know that this is going to be the nucleus then you need to develop them, you need to inflict intelligence of cricket in them. And that is only going to happen if the dugout is free of politics, the selection won’t be forced on players, captains won’t be changed again and again and back the team when they need it,” he said.

In closing, the former cricketer urged both the team and stakeholders to introspect and make necessary improvements. 

“The team also need to introspect itself. Look at what they are doing wrong if it is an issue of temperament, skill, game awareness or execution,” he concluded.