Lahore: Former captain Ramiz Raja was on Monday unanimously elected as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a three-year term, succeeding Ehsan Mani who stepped down from the post last month.
This is Raja's second stint with the PCB. He had served as the Board's chief executive from 2003 to 2004.
The special meeting was presided by PCB election commissioner, Justice (retd) Sheikh Azmat Saeed at the National High Performance Centre.
Raja was nominated for the position by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is also the patron-in-chief of the Board.
The 59-year-old commentator, who was part of Pakistan's triumphant campaign in the 1992 World Cup, has become the fourth international cricketer to head the PCB after Abdul Hafeez Kardar (1972-1977), Javed Burki (1994-1995) and Ijaz Butt (2008-2011).
Raja, who played more than 250 international matches for Pakistan from 1984 to 1997 and scored 8,674 runs, replaces the country's veteran cricket administrator Mani.
Raja said one of his biggest aims is to bring back the glory days of the Pakistan men's team that was once a force to reckon with in the international arena.
Addressing the Board of Governors (BoG) following his election, Raja said: "I am thankful to all of you for electing me as the PCB chairman and look forward to working with you to ensure Pakistan cricket continues to thrive and grow stronger, both on and off-the-field."
"One of my key focuses will be to help introduce in the Pakistan men's cricket team the same culture, mind-set, attitude and approach that once made Pakistan one of the most feared cricket playing nations.
"As an organisation, we all need to get behind the national team and provide them the desired assistance and support so that they can produce that brand of cricket, which the fans also expect from them each time they step on to the field of play."
In 2003-04, he had also served as the CEO of the Board under the chairmanship of Shahryar Khan.
The former opener added, "Obviously, as a former cricketer, my other priority will be to look into the welfare of our past and present cricketers.
"The game has and will always be about the cricketers and, as such, they deserve more recognition and respect from their parent institution."
On bilateral cricket with India
Lahore: Newly-elected Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja on Monday said resumption of bilateral assignments with India is impossible right now and he is "not in a hurry" for it either as his focus is solely on his country's domestic circuit at this point.
Asked about the possibility of revival of bilateral series between Pakistan and India, Raja said, "Impossible right now..." ...because the sporting model has been spoiled by politics and right now it is a status quo and we are not in a hurry on this issue because we have to focus on our domestic and local cricket," he added.
He also expressed his displeasure over the development that there would be no Decision Review System in the upcoming Pakistan-New Zealand white-ball series in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
"Yes there is no doubt that this DRS issue reflects a mess and I will look into this matter," he said.
Raja expressed his reservations over the standard of coaching in the country and said there was a dire need to improve the local infrastructure in the country.
Raja was also asked about the India-Pakistan match in the coming T20 World Cup in Dubai. The game is due on October 24.
"It is a show stopper and when I met with the Pakistan team players I told them I want the tables to be turned this time and the team must be 100 percent operational for the match and to do well in it," he said.
Hayden, Philander appointed coaches
Former Australia Test opener Matthew Hayden and ex-South Africa pacer Vernon Philander have been appointed as coaches of the Pakistan team for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE, the board announced on Monday.
The appointments were announced by the newly-elected Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja here.
The appointments of Hayden and Philander come just a week after head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis resigned from their respective posts after two years in the job.
"I think the Pakistan team needs a new direction. We have appointed Hayden and Philander for the World Cup," Raja said during a press conference.
"Going forward, we will have to carry out an extensive exercise in this regard in order to look for people who fit our model.
"Our objective is to give this team the best possible options so that it leads to improvement in performances," he added.
The PCB had earlier roped in former Test spinner Saqlain Mushtaq and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq as interim coaches for the home series against New Zealand.
Misbah and Waqar left their jobs with one year of their contracts still remaining.
Pakistan in the past has appointed many foreign coaches with relative success including Richard Pybus, Bob Woolmer, Geoff Lawson, Dav Whatmore and Mickey Arthur.
