ISLAMABAD: In an unusual statement, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja on Monday disclosed that he had received life threats from inside as well as outside the country.

While briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC) which met here at Parliament House, Ramiz said because of the life threats a bulletproof vehicle had been arranged for him by the PCB.

After the committee meeting, when reporters asked Ramiz to explain the threats he had mentioned, the PCB chairman said he first received the threats during the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

“I received life threats from inside and outside [of Pakistan],” he said without sharing any details about those threats.

Ramiz along with other PCB officials were briefing the NA Standing Committee headed by MNA Nawab Sher on the performance of the Board.

The committee was told that the overall victory ratio of Pakistan team in recent international contests was 75 per cent which was better than India’s (68 per cent).

Ramiz told the committee that various steps were being taken to further improve the country’s cricket system, adding the PCB was planning to organise a junior T20 league in October this year and a women’s T20 league in February next year.

“In order to prepare the [national] team for this year’s T20 World Cup [in Australia], the PCB will bring in mud from Australia to prepare [fast and bouncy] pitches,” Ramiz told the committee meeting.

The committee also directed the PCB to present the audit report of the Board in the next meeting.

Talking about the Pakistan Super League, the PCB officials told the committee that the Board had earned Rs500 million from the last edition of PSL.

PHF PRESIDENT’S ABSENCE IRKS COMMITTEE

The NA committee was to get briefing also from the officials of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) over the affairs of the federation.

However, PHF president retired Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar did not turn up leaving the committee members upset. They decided not to get briefing from PHF secretary Asif Bajwa and sought briefing from the PHF president in the next meeting.

Meanwhile, the committee also discussed the issue of Rangers, who are currently staying at Liaquat Gymnasium of the Pakistan Sports Complex.

It is believed that around 2,000 Rangers personnel have been staying in one of the hostels of the complex for the last month or so. The committee directed PSB director general retired Col Asif Zaman to take up the issue with the Interior Ministry, insisting sports facilities were meant for sports purposes only and not for accommodating the staff of law enforcement agencies.

The DG told the committee that he had already discussed the issue with the Interior Ministry, adding the matter would be taken up during the PSB’s meeting on coming Wednesday.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2022