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Ex-Pak cricketer Wasim Raja dies
Former Pakistani batsman Wasim Raja died of a heart attack while playing a senior cricketers' tie in England.
Former Pakistani batsman Wasim Raja died of a heart attack while playing a senior cricketers' tie in England on Wednesday. He was 54.
Raja, who after retirement became an ICC match referee, was playing for Surrey Over-50s at High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire when he collapsed on the field.
"Wasim had a big heart attack on the field. He felt dizzy, and mentioned this to the slips, saying that he felt he had to go off. He was carried off but then collapsed on the boundary," website Cricinfo.com quoted a Surrey spokesman as saying.
Wasim Raja, elder brother of Pakistani batsman Rameez Raja, was a stylish left-hander batsman and was an effective leg spinner.
He played 57 Tests between 1973 and 1985, scoring 2,821 runs at 36.16 with four centuries and the highest score of 125. He also took 51 wickets at 35.80 with a best of 4 for 50.
He also played 54 one-day internationals (ODIs). He was subsequently a match referee in 15 Tests, the last of which was in 2003-04.
Wasim Raja served in 15 Test matches and 34 ODIs as ICC match referee.
