Wahab Riaz reveals reason behind retirement
He took 237 wickets for Pakistan in 154 matches across all formats
Pakistan speedster Wahab Riaz has revealed the reason behind his decision to retire from international cricket.
The left-armer brought the curtain down on his international career earlier today (Wednesday) after taking 237 wickets for Pakistan in 154 matches across all formats.
Riaz believes that Pakistan has good pacers in the team at the moment which makes it impossible for him to make a comeback in the national side.
“I wanted to continue playing for Pakistan but that is difficult and nearly impossible right now,” said Riaz.
“Pakistan has good fast bowlers at the moment and there is no place for me in the side,” he added.
He also thanked his mentors in cricket who helped him become a better bowler.
“I want to thank Waqar Younis, Aaqib Javed and Mohammad Akram for always supporting me throughout my career,” he said.
Riaz also spoke about one of the most memorable spells in Pakistan cricket history, when he bamboozled Australia’s Shane Watson with his pace and bounce during the 2015 World Cup clash in Adelaide.
“I will never forget the spell I bowled to Shane Watson, it was the best one of my career,” he said.
Riaz made his ODI and T20I debut in 2008, meanwhile, his first Test appearance came in 2010.
During his Test debut against England at The Oval in 2010, Riaz bagged figures of 5 for 63, becoming the ninth Pakistan bowler to claim five wickets on debut.
His best performance in ODI cricket was against arch-rivals India, when he took 5 for 46 during the World Cup semi-final in Mohali. His scalps included the likes of Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni.
The pacer played his last international game in December 2020, which was a T20I match against New Zealand in Hamilton.
The 38-year-old will continue to play T20 leagues around the world.
Comments