"He deserved a little build-up" - Salman Butt reacts to Ramiz Raja's controversial interview with Shan MasoodÂ
Former cricketer Salman Butt slammed former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja over his controversial interview with Pakistani skipper Shan Masood. The said interview took place after the Men in Green's home Test series victory against England.
During the segment, Ramiz asked Masood about how he managed to lose six matches on the trot as captain. Butt expressed his displeasure over the question, suggesting that Ramiz should have first praised the skipper as the team had won an important series.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Butt said:
"You are a former Pakistan player, and not only a player, you are a former Pakistan captain, above that, you were the CEO of PCB, and above all of these, you were the chairman. There should be a difference between your and a fan's question."
"You are sitting on national television and as far as I am concerned, on that stage, a captain who after facing a lot of difficulties and hurdles and having a lot of things at stake has won, should be given some praise. He deserved a little build-up. After that build-up, you can mention those problems," he added.
Ramiz Raja was slammed by many on social media for his question as certain fans believed that he tried to belittle Shan Masood. Following the negative reaction, Ramiz issued a clarification in his latest YouTube video.
"My goal wasn't to belittle anyone or cast Pakistan's victory in a negative light" - Ramiz Raja
Issuing a clarification on his viral interview with Shan Masood, Ramiz Raja explained that he didn't intend to belittle anyone. He also seemed unhappy with the fans trolling him on social media following the interview.
He emphasized that he didn't question Masood's captaincy after Pakistan's Test series defeat to Bangladesh.
Ramiz Raja said in his YouTube video:
"I asked a couple of questions, and my goal wasn't to belittle anyone or cast Pakistan's victory in a negative light. As a commentator, the more Pakistan wins, the more opportunities open up for all of us in the cricketing ecosystem. Pakistan lives on social media. If I lived my life based on social media narratives, I wouldn't be in this field."
"There are many uninformed opinions from people who haven't played cricket but act like experts. When Bangladesh won 2-0, I didn't ask for anyone to be removed. Why would I question Shan's captaincy after a series win?" he added.
The Shan Masood-led Pakistan side beat England 2-1 in the recently concluded three-match series, clinching their first home Test series victory since 2021.