Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has pointed the finger at Babar Azam for the underwhelming home pitches during his tenure, despite previously defending the controversial surface conditions.
Making his comments during the broadcast of the second Test between Pakistan and England in Multan, Raja revealed that the then-captain Babar played a central role in pitch-related decisions, marking a significant shift from Ramiz’s earlier public stance.
Ramiz Raja stated,
I wasn’t really bossing the pitch preparation. I was only listening to Babar. When he’d walk into my room, I’d ask him what plans he had to beat Australia. He came up with the strategy, and even though I sometimes questioned it, he was the captain at the end of the day.
During his time as PCB chairman, Ramiz had been widely viewed as the key decision-maker regarding Pakistan’s pitches, which were heavily criticized for being flat and lifeless as Pakistan shifted from its tried and tested method of preparing spin-friendly pitches to trouble the opposing batters.
However, in his latest remarks, Raja distanced himself from full responsibility, claiming that he was merely following Babar’s strategy.
He also emphasized the difficulty of planning for matches when the pitch conditions are unpredictable, adding, “It becomes a guessing game when you do not know the nature of a pitch. You can’t really plan for an assault if the pitch is not going to behave properly or to your liking and strength. And that’s been a major cause for Pakistan’s debacle at home.”
This new narrative marks a departure from Raja’s earlier defense of the Rawalpindi surface, which had been lambasted for producing a dull, high-scoring draw with only 14 wickets falling in five days.
Ramiz Raja also went on to judge the captaincy of Babar Azam.
While praising Babar’s leadership in white-ball cricket, he voiced frustration with his Test captaincy, particularly in field settings and game management. “Partly, I rated him. He did well in white-ball cricket, but not so much in Tests. I was frustrated at times with how he set the field and managed things,” Raja remarked.
His latest remarks offer a nuanced look into the complex dynamics between the PCB leadership and the team’s captaincy, particularly as Pakistan grapples with ongoing challenges both on the field and in its infrastructure.