"If he is feeling bad now, I too felt equally bad at the time" - Wahab Riaz on being ill-treated by Ramiz Raja

Wahab Riaz recently pointed out how former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has been vocal about his displeasure after being sacked.

Wahab noted that Ramiz has maintained that he should have received better treatment as a former cricketer of the Pakistani team. The left-arm pacer, however, suggested that the former PCB chief himself didn't treat players well during his tenure.

The 37-year-old spoke about how he had tried to speak to Ramiz multiple times but never got a response. Wahab made these remarks while speaking to former Pakistan captain Salman Butt on the latter's YouTube channel.

Wahab Riaz said:

"Ramiz Raja, after being sacked as the PCB chairman, said that being a former cricketer, he should not have been treated this way. That is why I made those comments. The thing was that I had called him around four times, and texted him twice or thrice."

"He didn't pick up any of my calls, nor did he reply to my messages. I just wanted to make it clear that if he is feeling bad now, I too felt equally bad at the time. He could have at least replied."

Notably, Najam Sethi has replaced Ramiz Raja as the chairman of the Pakistani board. Soon after his removal, Ramiz posted a video on his YouTube channel, expressing his displeasure over the developments.

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"Whatever happened to Ramiz Raja was because of the government" - Wahab Riaz

Wahab Riaz further went on to say that no cricketer had a role to play in Ramiz's unceremonious exit. He stated that it was the government's decision to remove him from the post.

The 37-year-old mentioned that not just Ramiz, but all current and former players should be treated with respect. Wahab added:

"Whatever happened to Ramiz Raja was because of the government. We had no say in his removal. But if he is talking about respect, it should be the same for everyone. It doesn't matter if it's a small cricketer, a big cricketer, or an ex-cricketer. Everyone should be treated well."

Wahab last played for Pakistan in December 2020 and has failed to find a place in the Men in Green's squad since then. Speaking to A Sports in 2021, the left-arm bowler hinted about announcing his retirement following the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.