Felt like playing when women watched, not fun with only men watching: Ravi Shastri

The coveted Champions Trophy 2025 is nearing its business end and various experts are giving their take on how the tournament has panned out so far. There are many sources through which fans are getting newer insights each day regarding the technical aspects of the game along with never-heard stories and opinions of the experts on the ongoing ICC event.

Having said that, of late one such show in the form of the 'Dressing Room,' has been garnering immense attention as cricketers from across the borders are seen sitting together and talking about many hilarious and lesser-known stories. Now in the most recent episode which is going viral, the former India cricketer and renowned cricketer, Ravi Shastri, graced the show to give his in-depth analysis of how the eight-team tournament.

During the show, he revealed how the idea of the 'Shaz and Waz' segment came into being on TV. In the same regard, Shastri said when he used to play the game, it was somewhat monotonous to see only men watching the game of cricket.

"Ray [Hugh] said, ‘Why don't we try this show in the middle, at tea time?’. You know cricket's a serious game, [goes on for] six hours, [let’s] break it up. We asked, ‘What’s the idea?’. He said we will do Shaz and Waz. [We asked] What do we talk about? [He said] We'll get a guest inside. I said, ‘Who will be the guest?’ So they said, we'll pick up a guest. So, I asked ‘male or female?’ So, I said if it's picking up, then pick up a female. [We are] far better off [picking a female]. Because at that time, women’s cricket also needed promotion. It’s important you know," Shastri said on Sports Central's YouTube channel.

"When we used to play cricket, if there were only men watching the game, it was not fun. But when you saw some [females], then you know you felt like [you were] playing sport. You felt like you had to impress, not just on the field, with your performances, but impress those who are watching. And they [females] add colour, let's face it. They add colour. So, when we would get people in the show," he continued.

"We found [that] they loved the game; the knowledge was unbelievable, and they came from different faculties of life. So, some were models, some were chefs, amazing. [some were] studying in university. And [the show] went through the roof. It went into the top 10 shows in no time because it was different, it was lighthearted. It was different, a little bit of cricket, a little bit of fun; the female element in there. And when you picked up your phone [after the show] there would be 15 messages, all men, all jealous guys (laughs)," Shastri concluded.

Check out the viral story of 'Shaz and Waz' show here:

How Shaz and Waz show started?

Meanwhile, speaking of the Shaz and Waz show, the segment featured two former cricket legends from India and Pakistan, respectively. Ravi Shastri donned the role of 'Shaz' while the other host, Wasim Akram, was known as 'Waz.' Notably, the show was launched by ESPN Star Sports in January 2004, when India were playing against Australia down under. While Shastri himself came up with his nickname, Akram's nickname was given by the legendary former Pakistani captain, Imran Khan.

Also Watch: Waqar Younis left waiting for clothes due to Wasim Akram's hilarious prank; video goes viral

The impact of the show was profound given that in those days, during the tea time between the matches, it was quite boring for the spectators and TV audiences to listen to mundane analysis of various cricket experts regarding the match in progress. However, after having a light-hearted chat with a producer, Ravi Shastri suggested the idea of adding a "female element" along with having a light-hearted chat in the mid-break cricket shows. In the follow-up, a casual chat turned into a reality within a matter of two days when the show was aired. As a result, it broke into the top 10 cricket shows and ended up raising the viewership of the broadcasting channel reportedly surging by a whopping 65 percent.