Ramiz Raja criticises Mickey Arthur’s appointment as Pakistan team director

In his first reaction to Arthur’s comeback to the national team, Ramiz questioned the former head coach’s loyalty to Pakistan cricket.

Published : Apr 21, 2023 16:43 IST , Karachi - 2 MINS READ

Head of Pakistan Cricket Board’s Managing Committee Najam Sethi, right, speaks as newly appointed Pakistan cricket team’s director Mickey Arthur looks on during a press conference.
Head of Pakistan Cricket Board’s Managing Committee Najam Sethi, right, speaks as newly appointed Pakistan cricket team’s director Mickey Arthur looks on during a press conference. | Photo Credit: Anjum Naveed/AP
infoIcon

Head of Pakistan Cricket Board’s Managing Committee Najam Sethi, right, speaks as newly appointed Pakistan cricket team’s director Mickey Arthur looks on during a press conference. | Photo Credit: Anjum Naveed/AP

Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) former chairman Ramiz Raja has described the appointment of Mickey Arthur to the post of national team director as “a clown in a village circus”.

In his first reaction to Arthur’s comeback to the national team, Ramiz questioned the former head coach’s loyalty to Pakistan cricket.

“A first-of-its-kind coach/director of cricket picked to run Pakistan cricket remotely, whose loyalty is first with his county job than Pakistan cricket. This is as crazy as a clown in a village circus,” Ramiz said.

He also lashed out at the PCB chairman Najam Sethi and his cricket management committee.

“A PCB chairman who doesn’t understand cricket, probably was not even good enough to make it to the XI in a club game, heads a cabal of political, petty minded club runners for a management committee to run Pakistan cricket affairs, who are on a Rs 12 lakh a month salary,” Ramiz said.

A senior official of the board, however, dismissed Ramiz’s claim of the cricket management committee members getting handsome monthly salaries.

“It is totally incorrect and as per service rules, management committee members get a meeting allowance and daily allowance and PCB provides accommodation for outstation members.” Ramiz, who was replaced as PCB chairman by Sethi by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif last December, has been quiet for a while, after initially lashing out at the changes in the board.

Sethi has said that since Ramiz is taking a monthly pension from the PCB he can’t, under the board’s code of conduct, criticize its policies or officials.

A reliable source said that the cricket management committee which was initially appointed for four months has been given an extension by the patron in chief until the new governing body is formed under the old constitution of 2014.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment