‘Players want foreign coach’

Former captain Ramiz Raja advocates PCB’s stance.

LAHORE:

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has backed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) stance of hiring a foreign coach, confirming that majority of the players in the national squad will also back such a move.

Ramiz, who is now a full-time commentator, was drafted in as a consultant in the three-man coach-hunt committee formed by the PCB which was handed the job of shortlisting candidates for the position left vacant by Waqar Younis.

“If you have a vote in the team, 99 per cent will back the appointment of a foreigner as coach,” Ramiz told The Express Tribune. “The PCB wants the best in the business and I don’t think Dav Whatmore will be a bad choice.

“I don’t think the players are against his appointment so the PCB won’t have any issues with that.”

‘Pakistan will not fall to pieces against England’

In a true show of patriotism and optimism, the former captain backed Pakistan to come out on top against England, terming the series a nail-biter while trusting the hosts not to crumble against the top-ranked Test side this time round.

“It will be a good series and the matches will be very tight since both teams are evenly contested,” Raja, who is now a cricket commentator, told The Express Tribune. “Pakistan stand a good chance against England and I don’t think they will fall into pieces against the better-ranked side.”

Keep winning to silence critics

The former captain also advised the team to keep winning in order to silence its critics and keep controversies at bay too.

“Controversies happen in a series and they have been happening for a long time. The only way to stop them taking over – as well as the English media – is to keep winning.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2012.