Rameez Raja and Mohammad Yousuf involved in ugly fight on television show
Drama and Pakistan cricket are somewhat synonyms in cricketing circuits. Pakistan has produced some of the most flamboyant and controversial characters and events the game has ever seen. Following in the same tradition, tainted pacer Mohammad Amir’s inclusion in the national camp has created a buzz all around the country.
Former Pakistan international cricketers Mohammad Yousuf and Rameez Raja were involved in a verbal scuffle on the subject of Amir on an online television show. The two went over the board in their argument, to say the least.
The scuffle took place about a difference of opinion about the return of Amir. This had already created anxiety between the two former players, but the direct communication between the two in a cricket discussion show led to a massive argument which eventually turned into an ugly fight.
Responding to remarks from Yousuf that Amir was the world's best bowler and that someone had instigated Azhar Ali to revolt against him, Ramiz said neither was Amir the world's best bowler nor did anyone instigate Azhar.
The argument heightened when Rameez Raja said that “people with beards (pious) should not lie openly,” referring to Yousuf. This controversial statement instantly started an argument which transformed into rather disgraceful and impolite acts from the two experienced campaigners of Pakistan’s Cricket team.
Raja should not speak about Cricket: Yousuf
An angry Mohammad Yousuf replied, “A shameful man like you can only say things like these. You have not done anything in your career and now you can only say things like these. If you have any shame you should not speak about cricket.”
The argument went on and on to the extent where Raja had to request the host of the show to avoid inviting “fake pious” people to the show, again referring to Mohammad Yousuf.
The discussion on the young pacer’s return turned into a rather personal fight and it no doubt is shameful when two such big names of Pakistan Cricket publicly go overboard with the language they use for each other. They were not only disrespectful to each other but also to the cricketing culture of their country.
In September 2010 the ICC suspended three Pakistan players including Mohammad Amir on allegations of what was later defined as spot-fixing. They were alleged to have carried out specific on-field actions, including bowling no-balls at pre-determined times, during the Lord's Test against England on the instance of a bookie.
Amir, who has taken 51 wickets in 14 Test matches, 25 wickets in 15 ODIs and 23 wickets in 18 Twenty20 International appearances, was once considered the most promising young fast bowler from Pakistan.
He returned to cricket in September 2, 2015. He played in this year’s Bangladesh Premier League for the Chittagong Vikings and was a key member of the team and is currently in the national conditioning camp at Karachi – creating divides wherever he goes, and even where he does not.