Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has fiercely criticized reports suggesting that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan might be demoted from their Category A central contracts after Pakistan’s early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024.
Local media reports indicate that the PCB is considering downgrading Babar and Rizwan’s contracts following the team’s disappointing defeats against the USA and India, despite their wins over Canada and Ireland. This news has not gone down well with many, especially Ramiz Raja.
Ramiz Raja Comes Out In Support Of Players
Speaking on a local sports show, Raja, who has also served as PCB chairman, was unequivocal in his support for the players. He argued that reducing players’ salaries won’t solve the underlying issues.
“This is beyond me. Cricketers should be paid, simple as that. They have a limited career, and the PCB has plenty to offer,” Raja said.
Raja warned that cutting or withholding salaries could lead to players leaving the team for franchise cricket, which would be detrimental to Pakistan cricket.
“If you decrease or withhold the salary of a workforce, it will result in the workforce leaving the job. This is an incredibly delicate matter. Decreasing or holding back someone’s salary as punishment isn’t the answer,” he added.
Raja emphasized that punishing players financially is counterproductive. He labelled the talks of demotion as a “knee-jerk reaction” that won’t lead to any real improvement in the team’s standards.
“As I have said before, this is a knee-jerk reaction, and you cannot improve the standard by increasing or decreasing the pay of the cricketers,” he concluded.
Moving Forward
Many journalists and fans have demanded cutting players’ salaries after Pakistan’s ouster from the T20 World Cup 2024. However, this is not the solution and there must be a viable solution for the ongoing problems within the Pakistan cricket team.
Amidst all the noise around withholding or decreasing players’ salaries, the voices of experienced figures like Ramiz Raja highlight the need for thoughtful, long-term strategies rather than hasty decisions.
The debate over player contracts and salaries will undoubtedly continue, but the focus must remain on rebuilding and strengthening the team for future challenges.
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