'Who Was This Genius?' - Wasim Akram Roasts Ramiz Raja

Wasim Akram & Ramiz Raja in a frame (x.com)Wasim Akram & Ramiz Raja in a frame (x.com)

Former Pakistan cricketer, Wasim Akram's incredulous reaction to a radical suggestion by the erstwhile Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ramiz Raja has taken social media by storm. 

The clip, filled with disbelief and humour, features veteran batter Azhar Ali unveiling Raja's bold proposition to infuse Test cricket with T20 specialists.


Wasim Akram mocks Ramiz Raja's proposal  to infuse T20 gameplay in Tests

The candid video showed Wasim Akram in disbelief as he mockingly inquired about the "genius" behind such an audacious idea. Azhar's confirmation of Raja as the mastermind behind the proposal sent ripples of laughter across the panel.

"Yeh kon the genius (Who was this genius)?" asked Akram. 

"Ramiz Raja," said Azhar.

Raja, in a clarion call for innovation during England's tour of Pakistan, had said to Sky Cricket his vision of revamping Test cricket. 

By advising then-Test captain Babar Azam to embrace a T20 mindset for the five-day game, inspired by England's ‘Bazball’, Raja aimed to catapult Pakistan cricket into a new era. 

His advocacy for a "forced mindset" was a daring gambit to redefine the essence of Test cricket for future generations.

"Like England for example, I suggested to Babar that England are playing the T20 format in a five-day version, so you better pick T20 players here. It's a forced mindset on Pakistan, which I absolutely like. I want the future generation to think of it as a T20 format, like England are playing," said Ramiz during the second Test in Multan.

However, the aftermath of Pakistan's humiliating 3-0 whitewash and the controversial nature of Raja's suggestions resulted in his ousting from the PCB chief's role by the Pakistan government in December 2022, after a tenure of 15 months initiated by former Prime Minister Imran Khan.