Tradition of changing PCB chief after new PM's arrival 'not good': Ramiz.

LAHORE -- While counting a number of successes made during his nine-month tenure and plans aimed at further improving the game, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja on Friday said if the PCB constitution contained any provision for changing the chairman after the change of prime minister they could replace him, but added that following this move as a tradition was 'not good'.

Former Test captain Ramiz, who some media reports say may be changed by recently-elected Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, said during a presser there were reports people were asking why Ramiz was still PCB chief.

'My argument to this is: if it [changing the PCB chairman] is in the constitution then it is okay, [but] if it is a tradition then it is not good,' Ramiz said during the one-hour media conference after chairing the 69th meeting of the PCB Board of Governors (BoG) at the National High Performance Centre (NHPC) of the Gaddafi Stadium.

In the past, replacing a PCB chairman whenever a new prime minister or president who held the portfolio of PCB patron-in-chief came, was a usual practice.When Ramiz's attention was drawn towards the fact that Shahbaz Sharif had met former PCB chairman Khalid Mahmood but not him so far and some leaders in the present government had categorically stated they would soon send Ramiz home, the incumbent PCB chief sounded philosophical yet remained simple.

'Look, he [the PM] is the PCB patron-in-chief. I think if fans are with you and your performance also speaks [in your favour] then it will be difficult [for the authorities] to make a decision but he [PM] is the patron-in-chief and it is his call,' the 59-year-old Ramiz said.

'I think if the Pakistan team is giving [good] performances then our discussion should not be to change the chairman. Rather the focus should be on the team's performance, to point out its weak and strong areas,' he emphasised.

Ramiz said he had a number of plans to develop the game which he sought to discuss with PM Shahbaz Sharif.

'I have so many options. However, my pipeline project, particularly the junior league, pathways programme for 100 junior cricketers and hiring foreign coaches for domestic cricket are my excitements and these are important for Pakistan cricket,' he said.

'I have written to the prime minister a letter for the meeting to brief him over the future plans,' Ramiz said.

'There is no issue of ego as we all need to lift the game, and should not destroy our cricket on the desire of a couple...