Rameez Raja

Infobox Cricketer


nationality = Pakistani
country = Pakistan
country abbrev = PAK
name = Rameez Raja
picture = cricket no pic.pngbatting style = Right-handed batsman (RHB)
bowling style = Right-handed legbreak
tests = 57
test runs = 2833
test bat avg = 31.83
test 100s/50s = 2/22
test top score = 122
test overs = -
test wickets = -
test bowl avg = -
test 5s = -
test 10s = -
test best bowling = -
test catches/stumpings = 34/0
ODIs = 198
ODI runs = 5841
ODI bat avg = 32.09
ODI 100s/50s = 9/31
ODI top score = 119*
ODI overs = 1
ODI wickets = 0
ODI bowl avg = -
ODI 5s = -
ODI best bowling = 0/10
ODI catches/stumpings = 33/0
date = 31 January
year = 2006
source = http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/42420.html Cricinfo

Rameez Hasan Raja (born 14 August 1962 in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad), Pakistan) is a former Pakistani cricketer who is now a commentator and has become the voice of Pakistan cricket. He studied at the noted Pakistani institutions, Sadiq Public School, Bahawalpur and Aitchison College, Lahore, and holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration.

Rameez has become more noted as a cricket commentator than he was as an opening batsman or Pakistan captain. As a subdued right-hand batsman who favoured the leg side, he never scored the runs he should have - with only 2 centuries in 57 Tests - and seemed to have disappeared, only to be brought back as captain after Saleem Malik when the match-fixing controversy began.

1987-88: Given out Obstructing the Field

Rameez rewrote the cricket record books when he became the first player in ODI history to be given out "obstructing the field" against England at Karachi in 1987. England had posted a daunting 263 for 6 off 44 overs (Graham Gooch 142 off 134, David Capel 50 off 40) and Pakistan needed to score an exact 6.0 runs an over to reach that target in the allocated 44 overs.

Rameez opened the innings with Shoaib Mohammad, who scored 37 off 62 balls at just 3.5 runs an over before he went back into the pavilion. Rameez too, only managed to score at 4.9 an over and reached 98 when the last ball of the match was bowled with Pakistan needing an impossible 25 runs to win. He hit it away and sprinted for the two runs that would give him his hundred, but was well short of the crease when the fielder's return came towards him, and Rameez knocked the ball away with his bat. He was thus the first batsman to be given out "obstructing the field" in an ODI.

1995-96: As Captain of Pakistan Cricket Team

Almost a decade later, he revisited the record books when he infamously captained Pakistan to their first Test home series loss against Sri Lanka in September 1995 — Pakistan's first defeat in a home series since 1980-81 when Clive Lloyd's West Indies side beat them 1-0 in a four-match series. Before being brought in as captain for the series, he had often opened the innings with both Aamer Sohail and Saeed Anwar at different times, but without much success. As captain, he did not open the innings in any of the three Tests and opted to bat at three, his preferred position. Rameez was sacked as captain after Pakistan lost the series and was replaced by Wasim Akram. He got a second shot at captaincy when, immediately in the next season (1996-97), he led the Pakistan team in two Tests against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, but failed to register a win. This was his final appearance in a Test match for Pakistan - as captain or as player.

2003-04: CEO of the Pakistan Cricket Board

Rameez also served as CEO for the Pakistan Cricket Board, simultaneously serving as a cricket commentator. He resigned from the post of the CEO in August 2004 citing increasing media commitments as the reason for his decision.

For the 2006 England Test series against Pakistan, he was a commentator on "Test Match Special" and Sky Sports.

Rameez's brother, Wasim Raja, also played Test cricket and his second brother Zaeem Raja played first-class cricket in Pakistan.

External links

*cricinfo|ref=ci/content/player/42420.html