Rameez Raja

A former Pakistan cricketer, Rameez Raja was an integral part of the national team in the years between 1984-1997. He emerged on the scene amidst his country's tryst with match fixing and betting allegations. In spite of all this, Raja turned out to be one of the most honest, dignified and majestic right hand batsman that the country has produced.

Exuding style and panache in his batting, Raja was drafted into the team after good first-class performances. However, his debut ended in disaster as he was dismissed for 1 run in both innings against England. His basic game play was built on a solid platform and he was particularly good on the leg side. The flick to square leg became his signature shot. For all his batting prowess and might though, Raja scored just 2833 runs in 57 Tests at an average of 31.83. However, he guided Pakistan to the semi-finals of the 1987 World Cup, where Pakistan bowed out after a loss to Australia. In the 1992 World Cup in Australia, Pakistan proved to be a much tougher opposition. Raja had the honor of taking the final catch which won the team their first World Cup. At this point, he was at the pinnacle of his career.

A sudden dip in form after this led to him being axed from the team. Before the 1996 World Cup however, he was recalled to the team and was made the skipper. During the 1995-96 season, Pakistan lost their first home series to Sri Lanka, following which Raja was removed from captaincy. Furthermore, Pakistan lost to India in the quarter-finals. He was then handed over the captaincy for one last time in the 1996-97 season in a Test series against Sr Lanka but again, they failed to win a match. Raja called it quits after this series and retired from all forms of cricket.

Following his retirement, Raja started another journey in the form of a cricket commentator. He gained immense popularity in and out of Pakistan for his ability to deliver content well. He was also the CEO of the Pakistan Cricket Board for a brief period but resigned from the post in August 2004 citing reasons of increasing media commitment. Known the world over as the voice of Pakistan, Raja will always be remembered for his contribution to the sport.