The Chief of the Pakistan cricket board (PCB) Ramiz Raja, said that 90% of ICC’s revenue is dependent on India. He further said that if India decides to stop funding then it will lead to curtains for Pakistan cricket, as he told the International cricket council (ICC) a politicized body divided between Asia and the West. On Thursday, While Ramiz Raja appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on interprovincial affairs in Islamabad, he opened up that 50% of PCB’s budget comes due to the funds by ICC and he added that the time has come for the PCB to decrease the dependence on the funds and the start to tap the local market.
Ramiz Raja said in the Committee, “the ICC is a politicized body divided between the eastern and western blocs and 90% of its revenues are generated from India. It is frightening”. He further added, “In a way, India’s business houses are running Pakistan cricket and if tomorrow the Indian PM decides he will not allow any funding to Pakistan, this cricket board can collapse.”
While talking about the pullout from England and New Zealand, the PCB chief said that it was unacceptable because New Zealand cricket has not provided them with the details about the security threat yet, that they received, which led them to fly out of a Rawalpindi just a few hours before the start of first ODI. The PCB chief said, “what New Zealand did was unacceptable because till now they have not shared any information with us on what led them to abandon the series in Pakistan. But they are not trying to reschedule the series.”
Well, it can be said that Ramiz Raja also hinted that there could be some good information regarding the New Zealand series which was postponed. The good news may be shared in a week. He said, “the good thing is that they are working on something which means they want to mend things with us.”
On September 11th the New Zealand cricket team arrived in Pakistan for the first time in 18 years to play 5 20-20 internationals and 3 ODI but they left on September 19th without playing any of the matches after the security agencies and their government noticed some security concerns.
In a candid briefing to the senators, Ramiz Raja informed that he would also share his plans for Pakistan cricket and the board may be in a week to 10 days. He said, “To me it is simple, if the national team cannot do well and win matches it means that everyone on the board from the tea man to the top officials has failed in their duties.”
Ramiz Raja has got mixed reactions to his statement on ICC. Some of the people found it shameful that PCB was living on the funds of ICC and they also want the PCB to earn enough so that they can manage their own “bread”. Some were busy trying to rationalize the situation and understanding the facts while some people also accepted the harsh reality.
Ramiz Raja also took the LimeLight when on Thursday he took to Twitter to announce that the England and Wales Cricket Board chief has resigned from his post. Netizens started grilling the PCB head after he broke the news of the ECB chief resignation. But then the PCB chief deleted his tweet statement saying that it was made erroneously and apologized for it.
Now Ramiz Raja is trying to play the tough role of restoring the Pakistan cricket board, as the board has also suffered heavy revenue loss in the recent past. Is not focusing solely on empowering PCB financially. He wants to make Pakistan the “number one team in the world”, and through some cost-saving measures, he is hoping to spread the positive impact of the country’s cricketing system.
