Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has criticized the decision to remove Shan Masood as Test captain, saying the batter was unfairly blamed despite leading an average group of players.
Babar Azam replaced Shan Masood as captain of the national team for the tours of West Indies and England, during which they will play five matches.
Shan’s stint ended after a disappointing run in charge, with Pakistan losing 12 of 16 games, including a clean whitewash in the recent Test series against Bangladesh.
Speaking on his YouTube channel ‘Ramiz Speaks’, Raja said Shan had been made a scapegoat despite not being given a strong enough squad to achieve better results.
“If I were in Shan Masood’s position, I would have submitted a written complaint,” Raja said.
He argued that Shan was unfairly held responsible for the team’s poor performances despite working with an average group of players.
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“How can you expect different results when you’re repeatedly given an average group of players? If the quality of the squad isn’t good enough, the captain inevitably ends up carrying the blame,” he added.
Ramiz Raja also warned that Babar Azam could face a similar fate if the team’s fortunes do not improve.
“The same is going to happen with Babar Azam, because the team given to him follows the exact same blueprint as Shan’s in terms of the core squad,” he said.
Pakistan will play the first of two Tests against the West Indies in Tarouba, Trinidad, from July 25. The second begins in Port-of-Spain from August 2. They will then travel to England for three Tests, beginning on August 19 at Headingley, followed by fixtures at Lord’s and Edgbaston Stadium.
This will be top-order batter Azam’s third spell in charge of the side, having stepped down in November 2023 and then again in October 2024.
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