According to PML-N legislator Rana Mashood, Ramiz Raja has no future in the PCB

May 19, 2022 / By Zunair Tahir / Sport News

LAHORE: For the first time since the formation of the new federal government, Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan, a prominent MPA and former Punjab sports minister, has said unequivocally that he does not see Ramiz Raja’s future with the Pakistan Cricket Board in the near future.

Mashood said at a brief press conference on Wednesday that the federal government has agreed to reinstate sports sections in various public sector organization’s, which had been disbanded during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s previous administration.

“I believe a guy should be gracious. They claim to be ethically strong people; if that is the case, then ethics dictate that when their government leaves, they [should] leave immediately with the government,” Mashood said inside the Punjab Sports Board offices.

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“I am not seeing him [Ramiz at the PCB] in the near future,” he said, “and when things calm down, a new PCB chairman will arrive at all costs.”

The former minister, who is a major member of the governing PML-N, which controls the federal and provincial governments, also said that the government had approved the request to reinstate sports departments, which was welcomed by concerned sportspeople.

“These departments have been catering to the requirements of thousands of sportspeople across Pakistan for many years.” However, because no progress has been achieved since these departments were closed during the previous four years [of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf administration], our request to reestablish sports departments in public sector organization’s has been accepted,” Mashood said.

He said that many sportspeople who lost employment during the previous administration were unable to continue playing sports owing to age, and that the current administration will establish a sports endowment fund to recompense these players for their financial losses.

Mashood stated, “The system that [sports] departments use to pick excellent players for their teams will remain in the future.”

It should be noted that during the Imran-led administration, many sportspeople, including cricketers, lost their jobs when departmental cricket was abolished.

Cricket, Pakistan’s most popular sport, lost several players who represented various organization’s before sports departments were closed down. Over the years, the same departments have produced world-class cricketers who have gone on to represent the country at the highest international level and have won several awards.

Railways, Wapda, SNGPL, and a few more companies have also been told to shut down their sports divisions by April 31, 2022.

The entire scenario in the country’s sports industry is quite likely to alter once a new federal administration is in place.