Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja claims he got death threats during Australia’s tour to Pakistan last year, forcing him to drive in a bullet-proof vehicle during his stint as PCB chairman.
Raja made the remark when questioned about the bullet-proof automobile, which is reported to be worth 1.65 crore Pakistani rupees. At the same time, the 1992 World Cup champion suggested that his successor Najam Sethi may utilise the automobile.
“That automobile has PCB. That didn’t sit well with me. It is also available to my successor. I was threatened with death. You can’t have a bullet-proof automobile unless you’ve been threatened with death. That’s why I had it,” Ramiz Raja said to Samaa TV. “I can’t get into specifics about it” (the threat). However, it has been present since Australia’s arrival in Pakistan in March 2022. DIG sahab came to my house, and a full report was prepared. That’s why I purchased it.”
Raja was fired after Pakistan’s humbling 0-3 thrashing of England in the home Test series. After losing 0-1 in the three-match Test series against Australia earlier in the year, the Babar Azam-led team suffered a second consecutive home red-ball series setback in 2022.
With these defeats, Pakistan has been eliminated from contention for the World Test Championship final race. Notably, the Men in Green did have some success in white-ball cricket during Raja’s tenure, reaching the finals of two multi-nation events, the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup, where they were defeated by Sri Lanka and England, respectively.
The Babar Azam-led team will play the second Test against New Zealand at the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi on Monday, January 2.
