Raja asks fans not to support tainted players

LAHORE: Cricketer-turned-commentator Ramiz Raja has asked fans to stop supporting players who have tarnished the reputation of Pakistan cricket. “I am asking the fans to stop supporting these tainted players,” he said in a video message.

“That is because when Pakistan cricket is going through a turbulent phase, when they are being hammered or losing matches, they put pressure through their fans because they have been out of focus for years and make a comeback on their support.” Raja said that the fans have to realise that enough is enough and a ruthless mindset has to be adopted against such players.

He went on to say that a possible “fault line” in the country’s cricket system is the reason as to why the players are indulging in corrupt acts. “Umar Akmal has been in the cricketing circuit for 10 years. He has made a fair bit of money. He has found fame and glory and was marked as a very special talent at a young age. Maybe there is a fault line in Pakistan’s cricket system where talent like Umar Akmal can go haywire because he was not given a good working environment and support system,” he said. The commentator added that Akmal did not learn from Pakistan’s match-fixing history which spans several decades, adding that the batsman did not understand the value of his talent.