Ramiz Raja

Calcutta: Ramiz Raja, a former captain, isn’t keen on a second innings as chief executive of the volatile Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

“Yes, I know my name too is doing the rounds, but I’m perfectly happy the way I am… I’m happy doing commentary or just spending time at home… It’s sad that, today, the PCB is in quite a mess,” Ramiz, who was the chief executive for around 15 months from mid-2003, told The Telegraph.

Ramiz, it may be recalled, had been hand-picked by former President Pervez Musharraf. Traditionally, the head of state is the PCB’s patron-in-chief.

Speaking from Lahore on Tuesday evening, Ramiz added: “Left to me I’d suggest that Imran (Khan) put his political career on hold and save our cricket… With democracy back in Pakistan, nothing much is likely to happen (politically) in the next few years and, so, Imran could use his energy to revitalise our cricket…

“At this point in time (with teams reluctant to tour Pakistan), Imran’s stature would come in handy. Indeed, he’s the one best suited to be the PCB chairman.”

Among the most inspirational of captains anywhere, Imran heads the Tehrik-e-Insaaf party. A former member of the National Assembly, he’d boycotted the last elections, held earlier this year.

[According to an agency report from Karachi, the Punjab governor, Salman Taseer, is the favourite to be the next chairman. He’s based in Lahore, where the PCB is headquartered.]

The PCB has been without a head ever since Dr Nasim Ashraf (another Musharraf appointee, in fact a confidant of his) resigned last month.

Meanwhile, other reports coming out of Pakistan have suggested former captain and coach Javed Miandad may actually be made the chief executive.

Hailing from Sindh, Miandad has pretty close ties with the PPP, which is calling all the shots in Pakistan, but his appointment could raise more than just eyebrows because of the Dawood Ibrahim connection.

Dawood and Miandad are samdhis, with the former’s daughter, Mahrukh, married to Miandad’s son, Junaid.

For India, at least, that’s a very sensitive tie-up.

While President Asif Ali Zardari will personally appoint the next PCB chairman, he could also choose to have a big say in the appointment of the chief executive as well.

Currently, the PCB’s chief operating officer, Shafqat Naghmi, functions as the chief executive.