I was twice invited to the IPL by Sourav Ganguly, but I declined: Ramiz Raja, Chief of PCB
Ramiz Raja, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), stated that despite receiving two invitations to the Indian Premier League (IPL) championship game, he decided not to go out of concern for the fans’ reaction.
In a news conference on Friday, Ramiz Raja said, “Twice Ganguly has invited me to attend the IPL finals last year and this year, and cricket-wise it made sense to go. However, because of the scenario, we had to look at the fallout of accepting the invitations.
The most recent cricket match between India and Pakistan took place at the T20 World Cup in 2021, with Babar Azam’s team defeating Virat Kohli’s Team India by a score of 10 wickets.
Raja added that although Pakistan is eager to compete with India, there are still obstacles due to the political dynamic between the two neighbours. “There are currently three former cricketers leading their respective cricket boards; if they can’t make a difference, who will?”, Raja remarked in a sideline conversation with Sourav (Ganguly) about the issue.
The proposed two-and-a-half-month extended window for the IPL will also be challenged by the PCB. The matter will be brought up in the following ICC session, according to Raja.
The PCB chairman, however, expressed optimism for Pakistan’s cricket industry as he mentioned Pakistan securing the hosting rights for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Picture Courtesy: google/images are subject to copyright
