Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja has slammed PCB management committee chairman Najam Sethi for reportedly proposing that the Asia Cup be held in England.
“England could be a possibility as a venue for the Asia Cup,” Sethi told an Indian media outlet.
Raja expressed surprise at Sethi’s statement and questioned the PCB chairman’s mental condition. He contended that the fundamental aim of the Asia Cup, particularly when hosted prior to the World Cup, is to help teams to acclimatise to subcontinental conditions.
“I was shocked to hear the Chairman of the PCB say that it would be fantastic to see the Asia Cup played at Lord’s.” “Does he appear to be mentally stable?” Raja inquired.
“The whole point of the Asia Cup before the World Cup was to familiarise the teams with the conditions of the subcontinent,” he added.
The former PCB chairman also addressed Sethi’s earlier statement on the potential of hosting the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in Dubai due to taxation concerns.
“Another statement that irritated me was Mr. Chairman telling the press that they want to hold PSL season 9 in the UAE due to tax issues in Pakistan,” he stated.
“On the one hand, you say Pakistan is safe for cricket in terms of the Asia Cup, but on the other hand, you say the PSL should not be held in Pakistan; how does that make sense?” Raja moved on.
“It took us years to bring the PSL back to Pakistan and to show the world that Pakistan is finally ready to host International cricket but you want to nullify that? This is disappointing,” he added.
