Ramiz Wants Senior Players to Make Way for Youngistan

Lahore: Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has asked some of the senior players of the current team to bid adieu to international cricket in order to give youngsters more chances to perform.

Raja said senior players should step down themselves rather than being axed from the squad after their lacklustre performance in just concluded Sri Lanka series.

"I think it is time for the selectors and team management to have a look at the available players and decide which players will be around and useful to the team in the next five to six years," The Daily Times quoted Raja, as saying.

He said selectors should start building-up a formidable squad for the 2011 World Cup from now onwards, and for that such players who have just an year or two of cricket left in them must be shown the way.

Raja criticized some of the former players who had claimed that some Pakistani cricketers were in contact with Indian bookies during the Lanka series.

"If anything, I think the players need to be given a pat on their backs and appreciated for immediately bringing to the notice of the team management invitations from strangers which is unusual and not allowed by the ICC," he said.