[Watch] Ramiz Raja spells ‘Ravinder Ashwin’ instead of Ravichandran Ashwin during 2nd PAK vs ENG 2024 Test
Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja wrongly spelled Ravichandran Ashwin while commentating on Day 1 of the ongoing second Test against England in Multan on Tuesday, October 15. That came while Raza was lauding Ashwin for his ability to deliver in the first innings despite lack of assistance for spinners from the wicket.
The reaction came during Pakistan’s first innings as left-arm spinner Jack Leach bowled his second over.
In a video doing the rounds on X, Ramiz Raja said:
“I asked that question of first innings and second innings spinners because the guy that comes to my mind who bowls well in the first on any surface is Ravinder Ashwin of India.”
Watch the clip below:
Notably, Ashwin is one of the leading wicket-takers in Test cricket. The off-spinner has 527 wickets under his belt in 102 Tests. The 38-year-old has 133 wickets (46 games) in first innings. Among spinners, he is only behind Muttiah Muralitharan (230 scalps in 69 Tests), Anil Kumble (168 in 69), and Shane Warne (156 in 64) for the most wickets in the first innings.
Ravichandran Ashwin will next be seen in action during the three-match Test series against the New Zealand, which starts at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, October 16.
“It should have been Babar’s call” – Ramiz Raja on Pakistan resting Babar Azam for second and third Tests vs England
Ramiz Raja has slammed the selectors for resting Babar Azam from the second and third Tests against England. The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons Babar should have made the call instead of the selection committee or team management.
He told Sky Cricket (via The Times of India):
"It should have been Babar's call, whether he wanted time out from the playing XI or not. I think it was a knee-jerk reaction, new selectors in, the general opinion was that he needed rest and he was taken out of the squad completely."
Babar’s absence from the squad comes after he failed to score a half-century in his last 18 Test innings. He returned with scores of 30 (71) and 5 (15) in the first Test for Pakistan, who lost to England by an innings and 47 runs.
Follow the PAK vs ENG 2nd Test live score and updates here.