The appointment and subsequent election of Ramiz Raja as the new PCB chairman has been shrouded in controversy. His induction was followed by claims of previous chairman, Ehsan Mani, being given the cold shoulder by PM Imran Khan relating to the extension of his tenure as well as the sudden resignations of Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis as head and bowling coaches respectively. The added disappointment of New Zealand’s tour being demoted to a stand-alone bilateral series instead of being a part of the ICC sparks concerns about the performance and future of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as a whole.
Ramiz Raja had taken a more hands-on approach as soon as discussions about Mani’s replacement began, owing to the fact that he was PM Imran Khan’s nominee. As the patron-in-chief, he has a substantial say in who heads the organisation. Ironically, Imran Khan had always rightfully spoken out against the PM’s power over the PCB, especially after the incident of complete dissolution by Nawaz Sharif. By being structurally tied to the government, the PCB is often subjected to extreme changes that have prevented it from pushing through a long-term vision for cricket in Pakistan. Unlike his predecessors however, the Prime Minister is a former captain of this team, but since this is a one-off, a better system should be formulated.
Even the New Zealand series being classified as a bilateral series is a reflection of the serious need to restructure the way the PCB operates. Originally, the series was supposed to count towards the ICC World Cup Super League as all wins would have been awarded points which are essential for qualifying. However, the Decision Review System (DRS)—technology that is essential for high-risk matches—was not acquired by the PCB in time.
Extreme politicisation is the reason why the organisation has been inefficient in recent times—mismanagement, a lack of vision and inconsistency has resulted in a deteriorating performance in cricket overall and incurred a reduction in the standards of events on home ground. Despite having stood against it, the trend of the PM appointing chairman still continues and unfortunately so. If we are to bring back the glory of cricket to Pakistan, some restructuring of government intervention and the overall independence of the body is something to consider.
