Lahore: Former Pakistan skipper and 1992 World Cup-winning player Ramiz Raja was on Monday elected unanimously and unopposed as the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) 36th Chairman for a three-year term.
Ramiz Raja was elected in a Special Meeting presided over by the PCB election commissioner, Justice (retd) Sheikh Azmat Saeed. Ramiz Raja, along with Asad Ali Khan, was nominated by the PCB Patron, Prime Minister Imran Khan, on the PCB Board of Governors on August 27 for a three-year term, where they joined Aasim Wajid Jawad, Alia Zafar, Arif Saeed, Javed Kurieshi (all independent members) and Wasim Khan (PCB Chief Executive).
“I am thankful to all of you for electing me as the PCB Chairman and look forward to working with you to ensure Pakistan cricket continues to thrive and grow stronger, both on and off-the-field,” Ramiz Raja said in a PCB release.
“One of my key focuses will be to help introduce in the Pakistan men’s cricket team the same culture, mind-set, attitude and approach that once made Pakistan one of the most feared cricket playing nations.
“As an organisation, we all need to get behind the national team and provide them the desired assistance and support so that they can produce that brand of cricket, which the fans also expect from them each time they step on to the field of play,” he added.
Ramiz Raja was Pakistan’s 18th Test and 12th ODI captain and played 255 international matches in which he scored 8,674 runs in the period from 1984 to 1997.
He has previously served the PCB as its Chief Executive from 2003-2004, has represented Pakistan on the ICC chief executives’ committee and presently sits on the MCC World Cricket Committee.
“Obviously, as a former cricketer, my other priority will be to look into the welfare of our past and present cricketers. The game has and will always be about the cricketers and, as such, they deserve more recognition and respect from their parent institution,” said Ramiz Raja.
Ramiz Raja is only the fourth former Pakistan international cricketer to head the PCB after Abdul Hafeez Kardar (1972-1977), Javed Burki (1994-1995), and Ijaz Butt (2008-2011).