“Muh chhupake jao”: Wasim Akram reacts to Razaullah’s hero’s welcome

Published - 21 Sep 2026, 03:39 PM | Updated - 21 Sep 2026, 03:40 PM

Wasim Akram slams Razaullah
Wasim Akram slams Razaullah. Image Credit: X

Pakistan’s tour of England ended with an embarrassing whitewash, with the touring side losing all three Test matches that were part of the WTC 2025-27 cycle. However, 21-year-old Razaullah emerged as one of the few positives after making an impressive Test debut at Edgbaston.

Razaullah showed his ability with both bat and ball. He bowled with good pace and then produced a stunning 81 from 63 balls in the second innings when Pakistan were struggling badly.

His stunning knock, along with a 121-run partnership with Mohammad Abbas, helped Pakistan take the lead in the match. He also scalped four wickets in the match, but Pakistan could not avoid defeat. Earlier, Maaz Sadaqat becomes first Pakistan cricketer to achieve this historic milestone.

Wasim Akram slams Razaullah’s grand welcome

After returning home, Razaullah received a huge welcome in his hometown, with around 5,000 people reportedly gathering to celebrate his arrival. His entire village also turned up with bouquets and garlands. Razaullah even celebrated his individual success at the airport.

This drama left the legendary Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram shocked. The former Pakistan captain heavily slammed Razaullah for the celebration as the team suffered a 3-0 Test series loss in England.

Speaking at a charity event in Manchester alongside Waqar Younis, Akram felt that celebrating a player in such ways after a series whitewash showed a worrying mindset in Pakistan cricket.

'Jara muh chhupake jao'

Akram said at a charity event in Manchester, "Jara muh chhupake jao (hide your face at least). Go and celebrate at your home. Let me get this straight: you may bring the best coach in the world and the best chairman in the world, but the players are from here; they are the same.”

The legendary bowler continued, “There are no new players. Let’s talk about mindset; very talented. So, we got hammered by England, not lost, hammered. So, he arrives in Islamabad with 5,000 people to welcome him. His whole village came to receive him with bouquets and garlands. This tells you the mindset. We have accepted mediocrity.”

Babar Azam’s honest take on Razaullah

Interestingly, Pakistan captain Babar Azam admitted after the final Test that he did not know much about Razaullah before the match. He had only heard about the youngster after he scored a first-class century as an opener. Amid this, Aliya Riaz faces trolling after poor fielding for Pakistan in Asian Games.

Babar said at Edgbaston: “To be honest, I didn’t know too much about him (before he arrived). But I had heard things about his batting because he came in as an opener and he scored 100 (in first-class cricket). So, I heard about that inning."

Joe Root hailed Razaullah

On the other hand, England captain Joe Root also revealed that his team had limited information about the debutant. Razaullah surprised England with his attacking batting, played several impressive shots, and made it difficult for the bowlers to set fields against him.

Root said, “We didn’t have a lot to work with. He played some wonderful shots. Made it quite difficult to set fields to. He struck the ball nicely. I don’t know how he’s not pulled a side, really. He’s swinging that hard. But fair play. He played nicely and made it difficult for us.”

Rashmi Wasnik
Rashmi Wasnik

Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ...

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