Ramiz Raja Plays Down Rumors of Rift With Shan Masood

Pakistani cricketer-turned-commentator Ramiz Raja has played down the reports of a rift with Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood after being criticized for his actions during an interview with the latter following his side’s win over England in the third test match.

Ramiz caught flack online after questioning Shan about his and Pakistan’s recent struggles in the post-match show instead of focusing on Pakistan’s long-awaited Test series win at home. The conversation, held alongside Zainab Abbas quickly gained traction—and criticism—particularly for Raja’s pointed questions about Masood’s leadership during a tough campaign.

During the interview, Raja’s question, “How did you achieve this, six losses in a row?” was met with disapproval. Critics, including former star Mohammad Amir, perceived the comment as disrespectful, especially during what was meant to be a moment of celebration. Social media was abuzz with reactions, as many fans and pundits accused Raja of undermining the achievement.

Reports of discontent flooded the social media with many claiming that Ramiz will be removed from future programming as a result.

In response, Raja took to his YouTube channel to clarify his intentions. “I asked a couple of questions, and my goal wasn’t to belittle anyone or cast Pakistan’s victory in a negative light,” he emphasized. Raja highlighted the importance of Pakistan’s success for the nation’s cricketing ecosystem. “The more Pakistan wins, the more opportunities open up for all of us,” he added.

Raja also expressed frustration with the social media storm, saying, “If I lived my life based on social media narratives, I wouldn’t be in this field.” Dismissing uninformed opinions, he questioned why people would assume he was challenging Masood’s captaincy, especially after such a hard-fought win.

Ramiz Raja also referred to Shan Masood as his “son” reserving the right to call out his mistakes even while he served as Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Everyone now awaits a response, if any, from the PCB which is already dealing with a lot of scrutiny at the moment.