Ramiz Raja urged the board members to show leadership and not bow to India's instructions solely on the basis of the power they hold in world cricket.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is at odds with the BCCI over their stance on the 2023 Asia Cup, which will be held in Pakistan. However, BCCI secretary Jay Shah has said that India will not travel to the country and has urged that the event be held at a neutral venue.
Former Pakistan players were outraged when Shah made the news in October. Following the announcement, PCB vowed to boycott the One-Day International World Cup, which would be held in India following the Asia Cup.
Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja shared his thoughts on the matter, citing previous situations in which teams declined to travel to Pakistan due to security fears and what happened as a result. He also challenged the board members to take leadership and not simply follow India's orders because of their dominance in world cricket.
Speaking on Duniya News, former PCB chief said, "One positive from my stint as a chairman was that I provided leadership. If you remember, New Zealand had left, and we told them that what you did was unfair. The England team refused to come; we spoke with them, following which they played 7 T20Is instead of 5, two extra. The ECB staff visited Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium; they came to my office and apologised. Similarly, Australia also visited."
"What is leadership? When Asian Cricket Council has asked Pakistan to host a tournament and then India say they won't travel to Pakistan and shift the tournament to a neutral venue, what should be the response?
“Kya hum sab servant rahenge India k, kyunki woh ek world power hain apne hisab se. Kya hum har cheez unki mante jayenge?” (Are we servant of India just because they are a world power in cricket? Should we listen to everything they say?)
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Raja went on to describe how Pakistan could deal with the problem, emphasizing Pakistan cricket recent rise.
"We will think, will we get isolated? We'll ask permission from the government, then talks will move further. These are not signs of good leadership. The Pakistan cricket team is enjoying a great run; you have a good fan following; you have superstars, so please give your team and fans the respect they deserve."
"There should be a decision on the matter, as the tournament was given to Pakistan, so how can it be shifted to a neutral venue without consulting us or the ACC members," he added.
Earlier this week, PCB's new chief Najam Sethi briefed fans on the country's plans to visit India for the 2023 ODI World Cup. "We will not go to India if the government tells us not to. Let us be clear about Pakistan and India's cricket relations. Decisions on whether to tour or not tour are always made at the government level," Sethi said at a press briefing in Karachi.
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