Pakistan's Wahab Riaz Bids Adieu to International Cricket Before Key Tournaments Asia Cup and ODI World Cup 2023

Wahab Riaz: Experienced fast bowler Wahab Riaz has announced his immediate retirement from international cricket on Wednesday. The 38-year-old will maintain his presence in franchise cricket. Riaz was a member of the Pakistan cricket team in the 2011, 2015, and 2019 World Cups. His choice to step down arrives prior to the ODI World Cup scheduled in India. The cricketer himself conveyed his thoughts in a statement released today.

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Wahab Riaz bids farewell to the international arena

Having represented his country from 2008 to 2020, the 38-year-old left-arm paceman left an imprint across various formats: 27 Test matches, 91 ODIs, and 36 T20 Internationals. During this span, he secured respective tallies of 83, 120, and 34 wickets. In more recent times, Wahab Riaz has ventured into the realm of politics, assuming the role of the caretaker sports minister for the Punjab province in January of the current year.

In a statement he said, "I have been speaking about my retirement plans past two years, that 2023 is my target to retire from International cricket, and I feel comfortable now more than ever that I have served my country and National team to the best I could have." Continuing further, he added, "It has been an honor and a privilege to represent Pakistan on the international stage. As I bid farewell to this chapter, I am thrilled to embark on a new adventure in franchise cricket, where I hope to entertain and inspire audiences while competing against some of the best talents in the world."

Read Wahab Riaz's statement here

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Wahab Riaz earned distinction as the ninth Pakistani bowler to achieve a five-for on debut, notably against England with a noteworthy 5/63 at The Oval. His memorable accomplishments include a pivotal five-wicket haul in the 2011 World Cup semifinal against arch-rivals India in Mohali, although it was in a losing cause. A performance etched in memory is his outstanding display during the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal, where he disconcerted Australian batsmen, most notably Shane Watson, with a barrage of well-directed short-pitched deliveries.

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