ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan captain and renowned cricket commentator Ramiz Raja is all set to become the new chairman of the country’s cricket board.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his role as patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board, nominated Raja to the governing board on Friday after Ehsan Mani declined to accept a short-term extension when his three-year term expired this week.
Khan had met with both Mani and Raja before nominating the former test opener. The patron's nominee traditionally gets elected chairman, as Mani was three years ago.
Khan and Raja were teammates on the 1992 World Cup squad that beat England in the final.
The 59-year-old Raja had told reporters that during his meeting with Kahn he highlighted the inconsistent performances of the team in international matches.
Raja scored 2,833 runs in 57 test matches and 5,841 runs in 198 ODIs before quitting in 1997. He also served as chief executive of the PCB but established his name more when he took up commentary and became the “voice of Pakistan.” He also has a YouTube channel with over 1.5 million subscribers.
Ramiz Raja set to become Pakistan Cricket Board chairman
https://arab.news/wd2pw
Ramiz Raja set to become Pakistan Cricket Board chairman
- Prime Minister Imran Khan nominated Raja to the governing board on Friday
- Ehsan Mani declined to accept a short-term extension when his three-year term expires this week
ADB, Pakistan sign over $300 million agreements to undertake climate resilience initiatives
- Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in weather patterns
- The projects in Sindh and Punjab will restore nature-based coastal defenses and enhance agricultural productivity
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed more than $300 million agreements to undertake two major climate resilience initiatives, Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said on Tuesday.
The projects include the Sindh Coastal Resilience Sector Project (SCRP), valued at Rs50.5 billion ($180.5 million), and the Punjab Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Agriculture Mechanization Project (PCRLCAMP), totaling Rs34.7 billion ($124 million).
Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns. In 2022, monsoon floods killed over 1,700 people, displaced another 33 million and caused over $30 billion losses, while another 1,037 people were killed in floods this year.
The South Asian country is ramping up climate resilience efforts, with support from the ADB and World Bank, and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable areas.
“Both sides expressed their commitment to effectively utilize the financing for successful and timely completion of the two initiatives,” the PID said in a statement.
The Sindh Coastal Resilience Project (SCRP) will promote integrated water resources and flood risk management, restore nature-based coastal defenses, and strengthen institutional and community capacity for strategic action planning, directly benefiting over 3.8 million people in Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin districts, according to ADB.
The Punjab project will enhance agricultural productivity and climate resilience across 30 districts, improving small farmers’ access to climate-smart machinery, introducing circular agriculture practices to reduce residue burning, establishing testing and training facilities, and empowering 15,000 women through skills development and livelihood diversification.
Earlier this month, the ADB also approved $381 million in financing for Pakistan’s Punjab province to modernize agriculture and strengthen education and health services, including concessional loans and grants for farm mechanization, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, and nursing sector reforms.
