Rameez blames politicians for damaging cricket in wake of Younis ‘fiasco’
October 14th, 2009 - 1:55 pm ICT by ANILahore, Oct.14 (ANI): Disappointed over the recent developments surrounding Pakistan cricket where match-fixing allegations against captain Younis Khan and coach Intikhab Alam ultimately saw Khan resigning from captaincy, former captain Rameez Raja has said that politicians should remain out of the country’s cricket administration.
Khan tendered his resignation on Tuesday during a National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports hearing that was held to discuss the performance of the squad in the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.
The Pakistan Cricket Board, however, later rejected his resignation, but not before the game’s image was tarnished in the country yet again.
Coming down hard on NA’s Standing Committee on Sports chairman Jamshed Dasti, Raja said his ‘baseless’ allegations has done severe damage to cricket in Pakistan.
He said Dasti’s statement were like an ‘insult’ for Younis Khan, who has always tried his best to do the country proud.
“Politicians have no need to interfere in cricket and they have not only snatched our captain but have damaged the game badly,” The Daily Times quoted Raja, as saying.
“Our honourable captain was insulted by the investigation and we acted on baseless allegations,” he added.
Another former cricketer, Rashid Latif lashed out at the PCB and the media for the whole issue.
“I think the media was irresponsible by relaying an inauthentic statement by someone and Younis, being an honourable man, resigned over that. I don’t see him taking his decision back,” Latif said.
However, former opener Aamir Sohail said Khan has acted in haste while resigning from captaincy.
“Younis has acted in haste and with emotion. The Pakistan team needs him and he shouldn’t have felt so strongly about the investigation. This is very common in Pakistan, so he should withdraw his resignation,” Sohail said.
Younis Khan has had a troubled stint as Pakistan’s cricket captain and this was not the first incident over which he has resigned.
He had stepped down from his role as stand-in skipper, days before the 2006 Champions Trophy, saying he was not satisfied with the board’s way of handling certain issues.
Khan had also turned down the captaincy offer following Inzamamul Haq’s resignation after 2007 World Cup. (ANI)
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