Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has landed himself in hot waters as the board has now threatened legal against him over his remarks on the newly-appointed chief Najam Sethi. As the war of words broke out between both parties following Raja's unceremonious exit from the board last Thursday, PCB issued a statement on Wednesday, December 28th, claiming Ramiz's comments&nbsp;that were aimed to tarnish Najam Sethi's image, alongside the language used, has upset the management, who will now take care of the cricketing affairs in the country.&nbsp;

"The Pakistan Cricket Board has expressed its disappointment over the comments made and language used by former Chairman Mr Ramiz Raja against Chairman of the PCB Management Committee Mr Najam Sethi on a social media platform and in a TV interview," the PCB said in a statement.

"The PCB believes former Chairman Mr Raja's comments are aimed at tarnishing and damaging the impeccable reputation of present Chairman Mr Sethi, adding it reserves it's rights to pursue legal proceedings to protect and defend the image and credibility of its Chairman and the institution."

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As per Ramiz Raja, he wasn't even allowed to collect his belongings from the board office after he got sacked - the information which even he received in the wee hours before all of this unfolded. On Monday, while revealing what went behind the curtains, Raja said, "Najam Sethi tweets at 2 in the night that Ramiz Raja is out. Is this respect for a former captain? I was not even allowed to go to the office and collect my belongings. The morning after the announcement was made to remove me, they were around 17 people running all over the PCB offices as if they owned it," Raja said on his YouTube channel.

"It was as if I had committed some crime and I would take some incriminating evidence from my office. What tamasha is this? These people have just come to enjoy themselves and get the publicity... they know nothing about cricket." The former batter further said that one shouldn't expect anything good for Pakistan cricket with the new committee in power,&nbsp;while looking disappointed and frustrated over this episode.

Speaking further on this, Raja admitted&nbsp;he knew why he got sacked all of a sudden. A&nbsp;World Cup winner himself, Raja was elected as the board's chairman in 2021 and was slated to stay in power for three years, however, none of that happened.

"What happened to me is just political victimisation and vendetta only because I was appointed by the opposition party although I have no political links with anyone. I was appointed on the basis&nbsp;of&nbsp;my cricket and administrative credentials," Ramiz Raja said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has landed himself in hot waters as the board has now threatened legal against him over his remarks on the newly-appointed chief Najam Sethi.

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has landed himself in hot waters as the board has now threatened legal against him over his remarks on the newly-appointed chief Najam Sethi. As the war of words broke out between both parties following Raja's unceremonious exit from the board last Thursday, PCB issued a statement on Wednesday, December 28th, claiming Ramiz's comments that were aimed to tarnish Najam Sethi's image, alongside the language used, has upset the management, who will now take care of the cricketing affairs in the country. "The Pakistan Cricket Board has expressed its disappointment over the comments made and language used by former Chairman Mr Ramiz Raja against Chairman of the PCB Management Committee Mr Najam Sethi on a social media platform and in a TV interview," the PCB said in a statement. "The PCB believes former Chairman Mr Raja's comments are aimed at tarnishing and damaging the impeccable reputation of present Chairman Mr Sethi, adding it reserves it's rights to pursue legal proceedings to protect and defend the image and credibility of its Chairman and the institution." ALSO READ: Here's all you need to know about the new ATP-WTA joint event - United Cup 2023 As per Ramiz Raja, he wasn't even allowed to collect his belongings from the board office after he got sacked - the information which even he received in the wee hours before all of this unfolded. On Monday, while revealing what went behind the curtains, Raja said, "Najam Sethi tweets at 2 in the night that Ramiz Raja is out. Is this respect for a former captain? I was not even allowed to go to the office and collect my belongings. The morning after the announcement was made to remove me, they were around 17 people running all over the PCB offices as if they owned it," Raja said on his YouTube channel. "It was as if I had committed some crime and I would take some incriminating evidence from my office. What tamasha is this? These people have just come to enjoy themselves and get the publicity... they know nothing about cricket." The former batter further said that one shouldn't expect anything good for Pakistan cricket with the new committee in power, while looking disappointed and frustrated over this episode. Speaking further on this, Raja admitted he knew why he got sacked all of a sudden. A World Cup winner himself, Raja was elected as the board's chairman in 2021 and was slated to stay in power for three years, however, none of that happened. "What happened to me is just political victimisation and vendetta only because I was appointed by the opposition party although I have no political links with anyone. I was appointed on the basis of my cricket and administrative credentials," Ramiz Raja said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

PCB threatens legal action against former chief Ramiz Raja over glaring remarks on Najam Sethi

International cricket will resume in Pakistan after a few months' gaps as the Men in Green will host West Indies in a three-match ODI series, starting on June 08 at the Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan. In Pakistan's previous home series, which was against Australia in March-April, a lot was said and written about the quality of pitches.

Pakistan-Australia's first Test made heads turn for the flat pitch on offer as, amid all criticism, PCB chairman Ramiz Raja defended the nature of the surface. Ahead of the Windies series, former Pakistan skipper and tainted opener Salman Butt has taken a dig at Ramiz while evaluating Babar Azam as captain.

“If you want to judge a captain tactically, Test cricket is the best format to analyse that. But captaincy doesn't matter when you prepare pitches like these. You can just look at those pitches and say that spinners will play. Result is difficult in five days. The chairman will then say, 'What else are we supposed to do? Hand them the game?", claimed Butt as he cleverly recalled the PCB chairman's statement after the first Test versus Australia in early March, at Rawalpindi.

For the unversed, the first two Tests between Pakistan and Australia saw only 42 wickets being fallen, leading to heavy criticism of the pitches.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pak-vs-wi-when-and-where-to-watch-pakistan-vs-west-indies-1st-odi-ist-time-and-streaming-details-486150">Pak vs WI: When and where to watch Pakistan vs West Indies 1st ODI - IST time and streaming details</a>

Hence, Raja had to jump in as he&nbsp;said they cannot prepare “fast or bouncy pitches” and make&nbsp;conditions&nbsp;favourable for the Pat Cummins-led Aussies.

Butt further opined on Babar and said, "How can you test your skill in such a way? You can win Tests in England, and give the sides a tough time in away Tests. You can't just put all the burden on the captain. You need experienced bowlers. We have talented bowlers but they lack experience. It's not easy to win Tests abroad. Haris Rauf, for example, is young and energetic with a good attitude, but the experience will only come with time. The same goes for Shaheen. Among spinners as well, no one at the moment has the ability to run through a batting order."

"Nevertheless, Babar is growing with time. His batting remains unaffected with the captaincy, which is a good thing," he added.

Babar-led Pakistan will host West Indies in three ODIs, in Multan, starting on Wednesday evening (June 08).

International cricket will resume in Pakistan after a few months' gaps as the Men in Green will host West Indies in a three-match ODI series, starting on June 08 at the Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan.

International cricket will resume in Pakistan after a few months' gaps as the Men in Green will host West Indies in a three-match ODI series, starting on June 08 at the Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan. In Pakistan's previous home series, which was against Australia in March-April, a lot was said and written about the quality of pitches. Pakistan-Australia's first Test made heads turn for the flat pitch on offer as, amid all criticism, PCB chairman Ramiz Raja defended the nature of the surface. Ahead of the Windies series, former Pakistan skipper and tainted opener Salman Butt has taken a dig at Ramiz while evaluating Babar Azam as captain. “If you want to judge a captain tactically, Test cricket is the best format to analyse that. But captaincy doesn't matter when you prepare pitches like these. You can just look at those pitches and say that spinners will play. Result is difficult in five days. The chairman will then say, 'What else are we supposed to do? Hand them the game?", claimed Butt as he cleverly recalled the PCB chairman's statement after the first Test versus Australia in early March, at Rawalpindi. For the unversed, the first two Tests between Pakistan and Australia saw only 42 wickets being fallen, leading to heavy criticism of the pitches. ALSO READ | Pak vs WI: When and where to watch Pakistan vs West Indies 1st ODI - IST time and streaming details Hence, Raja had to jump in as he said they cannot prepare “fast or bouncy pitches” and make conditions favourable for the Pat Cummins-led Aussies. Butt further opined on Babar and said, "How can you test your skill in such a way? You can win Tests in England, and give the sides a tough time in away Tests. You can't just put all the burden on the captain. You need experienced bowlers. We have talented bowlers but they lack experience. It's not easy to win Tests abroad. Haris Rauf, for example, is young and energetic with a good attitude, but the experience will only come with time. The same goes for Shaheen. Among spinners as well, no one at the moment has the ability to run through a batting order." "Nevertheless, Babar is growing with time. His batting remains unaffected with the captaincy, which is a good thing," he added. Babar-led Pakistan will host West Indies in three ODIs, in Multan, starting on Wednesday evening (June 08).

'Captaincy doesn't matter when you...' - Former Pakistan skipper takes a dig at PCB chief Ramiz Raja

The 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan will be a 50-over event with the Asian Cricket Council continuing its tradition of holding the tournament in the same format as that particular year's ICC global event, PCB chairman Ramiz Raja said on Monday.

However, the former Pakistan captain also dropped enough hints that there is very little chance of having a bilateral series against India in near future as a "lot of work still needs to be done" to reach a "comfortable level".

Raja recently attended the ACC meet in Dubai where he discussed the modalities of Asia Cup and also had a meeting with BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah.

"The ACC has agreed and approved that the 2023 event in Pakistan will be a 50-over competition and will be held in September. This aligns very nicely with the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, which will be held in October and November (in India)," Raja told PCB's official website.

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While Raja said that the tournament will be held in Pakistan, chances of India visiting the neighbouring nation is next to nil if the current political climate persists, which is going to be the likely case.

In that case one can expect that like 2018, the tournament will be shifted to Dubai.

"We are looking forward to hosting this tournament in Pakistan and I am confident it will be a well-organised event because this is what the fans want.

"The ACC has also confirmed next year's tournament in Sri Lanka will be played on a 20-over format and will be a prelude to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 to be held in Australia from 16 October to 13 November," Raja added. 
 
Indo-Pak bilateral cricket

On his meeting with the BCCI officials, Raja said: "A lot of work needs to be done to revitalise Pakistan-India cricket but there needs to be some comfortable level between the two boards and then we can see how far we can go. So overall, we had a good discussion."

"I met with BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah on the sidelines of the ACC meetings. We need to create a cricketing bond, while I have also believed that politics should stay away from sport as much as possible and this has always been our stance," he reiterated.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asia-cup-2023-to-be-played-in-pakistan-confirms-pcb-chief-ramiz-raja-421053">Asia Cup 2023 to be played in Pakistan, confirms PCB chief Ramiz Raja</a>

Raja understands that ACC as a body has no power to dictate terms to a giant like BCCI and that's the reason he sounded a word of caution for the continental body knowing that their could be a shift of Asia Cup by the time 2023 arrives.

"The ACC was set-up to create a unified approach and collective stance so that we had one voice and if there was a situation, all stood together.

"I would like to see our relationship with other boards and the ACC to be strong so that if there is an issue, like we had with the withdrawal of a couple of sides, a strong and joint statement could come out from the ACC platform.

"My message at the ACC was that we should not forget this philosophy and I am optimistic there will be better outcomes in future," he concluded.&nbsp;

The 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan will be a 50-over event with the Asian Cricket Council continuing its tradition of holding the tournament in the same format as that particular year's ICC global event, PCB chairman Ramiz Raja said on Monday.

The 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan will be a 50-over event with the Asian Cricket Council continuing its tradition of holding the tournament in the same format as that particular year's ICC global event, PCB chairman Ramiz Raja said on Monday. However, the former Pakistan captain also dropped enough hints that there is very little chance of having a bilateral series against India in near future as a "lot of work still needs to be done" to reach a "comfortable level". Raja recently attended the ACC meet in Dubai where he discussed the modalities of Asia Cup and also had a meeting with BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah. "The ACC has agreed and approved that the 2023 event in Pakistan will be a 50-over competition and will be held in September. This aligns very nicely with the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, which will be held in October and November (in India)," Raja told PCB's official website. Also Read: From Amazon delivery man to Scotland's hero: Chris Greaves' story is an inspiration to all While Raja said that the tournament will be held in Pakistan, chances of India visiting the neighbouring nation is next to nil if the current political climate persists, which is going to be the likely case. In that case one can expect that like 2018, the tournament will be shifted to Dubai. "We are looking forward to hosting this tournament in Pakistan and I am confident it will be a well-organised event because this is what the fans want. "The ACC has also confirmed next year's tournament in Sri Lanka will be played on a 20-over format and will be a prelude to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 to be held in Australia from 16 October to 13 November," Raja added. Indo-Pak bilateral cricket On his meeting with the BCCI officials, Raja said: "A lot of work needs to be done to revitalise Pakistan-India cricket but there needs to be some comfortable level between the two boards and then we can see how far we can go. So overall, we had a good discussion." "I met with BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah on the sidelines of the ACC meetings. We need to create a cricketing bond, while I have also believed that politics should stay away from sport as much as possible and this has always been our stance," he reiterated. ALSO READ: Asia Cup 2023 to be played in Pakistan, confirms PCB chief Ramiz Raja Raja understands that ACC as a body has no power to dictate terms to a giant like BCCI and that's the reason he sounded a word of caution for the continental body knowing that their could be a shift of Asia Cup by the time 2023 arrives. "The ACC was set-up to create a unified approach and collective stance so that we had one voice and if there was a situation, all stood together. "I would like to see our relationship with other boards and the ACC to be strong so that if there is an issue, like we had with the withdrawal of a couple of sides, a strong and joint statement could come out from the ACC platform. "My message at the ACC was that we should not forget this philosophy and I am optimistic there will be better outcomes in future," he concluded.

Asia Cup 2023 in Pakistan will be played in ODI format, reveals PCB head Ramiz Raja

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja hinted that the New Zealand cricket board might be working to rescheduling their Pak tour after it abandoned the series last month due to "security threats".

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja hinted that the New Zealand cricket board might be working to rescheduling their Pak tour after it abandoned the series last month due to "security threats". As per the Pakistan media reports, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has contacted PCB over the rescheduling of the series and "good news will be announced within a week". The Kiwis were due to play Pakistan on September 17 in the first of three ODIs in Rawalpindi, before moving to Lahore for a five-match T20 series. After New Zealand, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also cancelled its white-ball tours to Pakistan by the men's and women's teams due to take place this month, citing "increasing concerns about travelling to the region" and player welfare. ALSO READ | If Pakistan beat India in T20 World Cup, PCB to get blank cheque: Ramiz Raja reveals investor's BIG claim International cricket in Pakistan was suspended in the aftermath of terror attacks against the Sri Lankan side in 2009, but has slowly revived over the past two years. However, the cancellation of tours by England and New Zealand was a massive setback for the cricket-crazy nation. While speaking before the Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), Raja talked about the importance of making PCB self-sufficient and future of the Pakistan cricket. During the meeting, he mentioned the New Zealand tour as he said, "The PCB may put forward its terms before the NZC by choosing the month of November in 2022 for the rescheduling of the recently postponed series." ALSO READ | 'Western arrogance': Michael Holding slams England for pulling out of Pakistan tour, says 'would not have done that to India' On being asked by committee chairman Raza Rabbani that what if PCB does "not allow" the New Zealand tour, Raja replied, "We have to live with them. But we can tell them that Pakistan can find a time window for the tour at some point in 2022." He further added that there shouldn't be any problem "if New Zealand were ready to play according to Pakistan's conditions".

New Zealand rescheduling Pakistan tour? PCB chairman Ramiz Raja drops major hint