Former Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and commentator Ramiz Raja has responded to criticism regarding his informal conversation with national Test team captain Shan Masood.
In a recent vlog, Ramiz Raja clarified that he did not intend to undermine Shan Masood. He stated, “Asking questions of players is my right, and the success of Pakistan will bring respect to everyone.”
Ramiz explained that if someone hasn’t seen the complete interview, he wouldn’t comment further. He had asked Shan about maintaining composure after the team’s six consecutive losses.
He mentioned, “Shan Masood is around the age of my son, and we often discuss batting.” He pointed out that Shan has issues playing shots toward the leg side, which he questioned.
Ramiz emphasized that after one win, we tend to forget the long journey ahead. He never suggested removing Shan Masood, insisting he doesn’t pay attention to social media comments. He remarked that politics is used to exert pressure on him, stating, “Those who have never played cricket talk about it. It seems Pakistan cricket exists only on social media.”
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Notably, just two days prior, Pakistan secured a 9-wicket victory against England in the third and deciding Test match, thanks to their spinners’ outstanding performance, thus winning the series 1-2. This marked Pakistan’s first home Test series win in nearly three and a half years, the last being against South Africa in January 2021.
However, despite this significant win, Ramiz Raja’s informal remarks towards captain Shan Masood during post-match discussions drew criticism. He made sarcastic comments about Shan’s six failures as captain and at one point mentioned that Nauman Ali seemed to be lacking in vitality.
Following this, Ramiz faced backlash on social media, with users disapproving of his public humiliation of the national team’s captain. Many felt it was inappropriate to disrespect Shan in such a manner.
Meanwhile, PCB has also expressed its concerns to broadcasters regarding Ramiz Raja’s conduct, having written a letter to communicate their reservations.
