Amid an ongoing major reshuffle, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed former international cricketer and speedster Wahab Riaz as the new chief selector of the national men’s selection committee.
The former left-arm pacer’s appointment as the chief selector comes as the post had been vacant following former skipper Inzamam ul Haq’s resignation on October 30 after “conflict of interest” allegations were levelled against him.
The board has formed a five-member committee after it was revealed that Inzamam was a partner in Yazoo International Ltd — a players’ management company owned by Talha Rehmani which represents Pakistan’s leading cricketers, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Riaz’s — who represented Pakistan in 27 Tests, 90 ODIs and 36 T20Is — first assignment will be selecting the team for a challenging Australia tour for a three-match Test series against the Kangaroos scheduled to commence on December 14 followed by the five-match T20I series against New Zealand from 12 to 21 January in New Zealand, the statement from the PCB said.
Expressing his views on his appointment as chief selector, the left-arm fast bowler expressed gratitude to PCB Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf and said: “I am honoured to assume the role of chairperson for the national men’s selection committee.”
…………………….Published on: 17 Aug 2023 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Pakistan speedster Wahab Riaz Wednesday announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to his “incredible journey”.
The left-armer shared the development in a post on his official X, formerly known as Twitter, account.
The 38-year-old will continue to play in T20 leagues around the world.
“Stepping off the international pitch. After an incredible journey, I’ve decided to retire from international cricket. Big thank you to PCB, my family, coaches, mentors, teammates, fans, and everyone who supported me,” Riaz said.
“Exciting times ahead in the world of franchise cricket!” he added.
Riaz made his ODI and T20I debut in 2008, meanwhile, his first Test appearance came in 2010.
The Lahore-born played 27 Tests, 91 ODIs, and 36 T20Is for Pakistan over the course of his career. He claimed more than 200 wickets in international cricket.
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.
Riaz also bowled 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.
The pacer played his last international game in December 2020, which was a T20I match against New Zealand in Hamilton.
