Pakistan should accept working proposal of India, Australia and England: Rameez Raja
Rameez Raja insists the proposals made by the three cricketing nations should be studied carefully for it's long-term financial benefits to Pakistan cricket.
Former Pakistan captain Rameez Raja has advised Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to accept the working proposal on restructuring of world cricket by India, Australia and England at the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in Dubai.
"Eventually it is a proposal that will be accepted. Pakistan must make best use of this situation and try to not only get long-term financial benefits but also more series against these three nations," Rameez said.
The PCB has not made its stance clear on the working paper and proposals that India, Australia and England are supporting but indicated it will be resisting the takeover bid of world cricket by the three nations. (Read: PCB to oppose any change)
But Rameez insisted that it was a proposal that Pakistan needed to look at carefully for its own benefits.
"I think we can benefit a lot from the situation and what we can do is get long-term financial benefits and also sign long-term bilateral contracts for series with these three nations," he said on Geo news channel. (Other nations react: South Africa angry | Sri Lanka mulls opposing plans | West Indies worried )
"We should not go with the popular opinion but think about our own benefits because every board will do that."
He said the move by India, Australia and England was accepted as they had been generating the bulk of revenue in world cricket.
Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar also felt that Pakistan had no option but to accept the working paper.
"As a cricket nation we are in no position to throw our weight around that is my honest opinion," he said.
"So we shouldn't have any doubt that eventually Pakistan will have to accept this proposal. Now all we have to see is what we can gain from it," he said.
Akhtar was critical of PCB's role and said due to its wrong policies the board today stood isolated in world cricket.
But he warned that eventually world cricket will suffer if India, Australia and England's plans were put in place.
"In the long run cricket will suffer because when there is no balance there will be problems," he said.