Pakistan set world record: Ramiz Raja reacts to mass sacking in England
Former captain Ramiz Raja compared Pakistan’s extraordinary mid-series overhaul to sacking a football manager mid-season and accused the Pakistan Cricket Board of pressing the “panic button” after a dramatic decision that left the team facing an uncertain future.
The former Pakistan captain and PCB chairman told the BBC Test Match Special podcast that he was shocked by the decision to send home seven players and remove head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul after Pakistan lost the first two Tests against England.
“Big shock,” Raja said when asked for his initial reaction.
“This is not done in cricket. So why did they do it? Obviously they feel the heat. But under no circumstances during the series did it ever happen.”
Pakistan had earlier suffered an innings and 103-run defeat at Headingley England completed 194 to win at Lord’s they took an elusive 2-0 lead in the three-Test series on Sunday. The response from PCB was extensive: Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad were dismissed from the squad while Sarfaraz and Gul were also removed.
Raja believes the scale and timing of the changes are unprecedented.
“So Pakistan has actually set a world record,” he said.
“I’m really, really not happy with this situation.
He compared the decision to football, where a manager can be sacked during the campaign, but argued that the structure of the cricket series should have encouraged Pakistan to wait.
“It’s more like football, you sack the manager midway through the season,” Raja said. “But this is an ongoing series. So they might as well have waited another 10 days before calling.”
The former PCB chairman was particularly critical of the decision to overhaul the playing group ahead of the final Test at Edgbaston, with seven replacements added to the squad, including five players who had not yet played Test cricket.
“I’m still trying to convince myself that it’s all right,” Raja said. “It just shows that Pakistan cricket has hit the panic button and it’s not good for the game, it’s not good for the confidence of the players who have left and it’s not good for the confidence of the players who have come in.”
He went further and warned that such instability could change the character of the team.
“It makes you a selfish team, it makes you a maverick team,” Raja said. “And what’s the guarantee that they’ll get results too?”
“This is mass culling.
‘It’s Gone HAYWIRE’
But for Raju, the issues go far beyond one series or one selection call. Pakistan have gone through repeated changes in leadership, coaching and administration and believe the instability has damaged the team’s identity.
“It’s just a plethora of so many things that have happened. It’s been crazy,” he said.
When asked how Pakistan can fix the situation, Raja replied bluntly: “If you ask me how to fix it, I have no idea. I really have no idea.”
He expects the turbulence to continue unless the PCB changes its approach.
“The next year or so is going to be just as turbulent as the last year or two,” he said.
Raja was equally concerned about the message sent by the removal of Sarfaraz and Gul, two former Pakistan internationals who enjoyed distinguished playing careers themselves.
“Once you remove a coach. In this case you have sacked Sarfaraz Ahmed, his deputy Umar Gul,” he said. “They are cricketers who have done so well in Pakistan over the years. But they have been driven out.”
“I don’t know what will happen to the psyche of the team and the former cricketers,” Raja said. “Who would want a job with Pakistan cricket if they are not respected?”
Babar Azam will be under immense pressure when Pakistan take the field in the third and final Test starting on September 9 in Birmingham.
– The end
Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
01 Sep 2026 12:53 IST