16 September,2021 07:37 AM IST | Mumbai | Clayton Murzello
Pakistan’s ex-captain Ramiz Raja with Shahid Afridi ahead of the first T20 International against England at Dubai Cricket Stadium on November 26, 2015. Pic/Getty Images
Ramiz, 59, who played under Imran Khan, the current Pakistan prime minister, was not merely part of Imran's 1992 World Cup champions. He carved two centuries in that campaign (v West Indies and New Zealand) and cricket lovers won't forget the sight of him taking a catch at mid-off, offered by last man Richard Illingworth, to clinch world cricket's biggest prize at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Experts in Pakistan believe that the job of running the country's board couldn't have gone to a better man. Senior journalist Abdul Majid Bhatti tells me that Ramiz has a good understanding of the "lower level" politics, which his predecessor Ehsan Mani did not have. Bhatti also reckons that Ramiz has an uphill, but not impossible task of setting things right for Pakistan cricket and he'll have to do justice to the âright man for the job' tag.
Communication is one area which won't be a problem. For, Ramiz has been a good communicator even before he launched a career in cricket commentary. As captain of Pakistan, he was cooperative with the media. I remember calling him one evening before his scheduled press conference for the first final of the Pakistan v Sri Lanka 1997 Independence Cup for his pre-match views. He understood my fears of being able to arrive in Mohali only after his press conference and obliged me with a few quotes.
On YouTube the other day, we saw how well he conducted his first press briefing as PCB chairman. It was not 100 per cent pleasant. We saw an annoyed Ramiz when he was asked about the logic of appointing foreigners - Australian Matthew Hayden and South African Vernon Philander - as coaches for the T20 World Cup. It is hoped that Hayden can infuse Australia-like aggression, while Philander can bring to bear the skills that helped him torment Australia. His 5-15 caused the demolition of Michael Clarke's team for 47 in the 2011-12 Test at Cape Town.
Ramiz promises to be a hands-on chairman and though he ruled out the resumption of India-Pakistan ties in the present scenario, he did say that he wanted his team to beat India in the T20 World Cup. Well aware that Pakistan have yet to win a game against India in an ICC World Cup event, Ramiz feels it is time to "turn the tables". For that to happen, the team must "operate at a 100 per cent level" and he's told them that, stressing that they have to be warmed up for that battle.
You can't miss the Imran Khan influence in that statement. The great Khan too used to psyche his team before they played the West Indies; the best side in the world for most of his captaincy years. Courage used to be the buzzword in team meetings and players were told that if they fell short on this aspect, they would be sent home. Ramiz obviously knows all about it and it is for good reason that he believes leadership will be a key factor in the upliftment of Pakistan cricket. He'll be the happiest man in the Pakistan setup if the 2009 champions overcome India on October 24, but the head-to-head heavily favours India at 7-1. And although this is unrelated to the current context, a Ramiz-led Pakistan lost 1-4 to Sachin Tendulkar's India in Canada in 1997.
It is to be seen whether captain Babar Azam will get a long rope but Ramiz indicated at the press conference that persistence pays. He cited the example of how Imran persevered with rookie Inzamam-ul-Haq in the 1992 World Cup, before he came up with a match-winning 60 in the semi-final against New Zealand at Auckland. In eight previous games, Inzamam could muster only 123.
Ramiz has accepted that a lot has to change in Pakistan and that's not restricted to the national team. The next time we see a gifted player in that team, think about how many more you could see if not for poor quality grounds, sub-standard balls and bumpy fields on which bowlers can't think of playing with spikes on. It's a classic case of players being produced not because of the system but despite the system.
During his stint as captain of Pakistan, Ramiz lost more than he won. Teammate Wasim Akram wrote in his autobiography that while he liked Ramiz, he felt "he didn't fulfil the basic qualification for a captain - a good enough player to get in the side automatically".
However, under the chairman-of-the-board hat, Ramiz does give the impression that he'll turn things around for his county's cricket. Pakistani pundits are waiting to see if the execution aspect does justice to his vision, but the latter certainly indicates that his heart is in the right place.
mid-day's group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance. He tweets @ClaytonMurzello
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