"Was I going to wear pads and play in his place?" - Ramiz Raja on ignoring Sarfaraz Ahmed during his tenure as PCB chief
Ramiz Raja, the former chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has maintained that he did not drop senior keeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed from the team for his personal benefit.
During an interview with Super Geo, Ramiz was asked why he did not give enough chances to senior players like Sarfaraz during his tenure. Ramiz was visibly irritated with the question, stating that he gained nothing from dropping the wicketkeeper-batter.
Ramiz initially refused to answer the question. However, he ultimately hit back at the interviewer, saying:
"What is the point of asking such a question? Was I supposed to play in his place? Was I going to wear pads and play in his place? I had nothing to gain by not picking him. It's good for Pakistan cricket that he has done well now."
Sarfaraz made a fantastic return to international cricket, emerging as the leading run-getter in Pakistan's two-match home Test series against New Zealand. The right-handed batter hit a century and three fifties in four innings, finishing with 335 runs at an average of 83.75.
"Did I make those pitches?" - Ramiz Raja opens up on the quality of wickets in Pakistan
Ramiz Raja also spoke about the criticism Pakistan have been subjected to for preparing dead tracks for their recent home Test series.
The former cricketer mentioned that he did not instruct the curators to make such pitches. He added that he was not accountable for the poor quality of pitches being made in the country.
Ramiz Raja added:
"Did I make those pitches? I did not give any instructions to make such wickets for the England Test series. You should do some homework before asking such questions."
ICC rates Rawalpindi pitch as "Below average".
Several fans and experts have slammed Pakistan for using flat wickets in home Tests. The pitch for the Test series opener against England in Rawalpindi received a 'below average' rating from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The venue had earlier received the same rating following the first match of the Test series against Australia in March 2022.