Wahab Riaz has announced his retirement from Pakistan after a 15-year career with the country.
Wahab Riaz, Pakistan’s left-arm bowler, has announced his retirement from international cricket less than two months before the World Cup in India in 2023. Wahab, who has taken over 200 international wickets in his 15-year career with Pakistan, is about to embark on an exciting new chapter of his life, focusing on playing franchise cricket throughout the world.
“I’m exiting the international pitch!” I’ve decided to leave international cricket after a wonderful adventure. Thank you to everyone who helped me, including PCB, my family, coaches, mentors, teammates, fans, and everyone who has encouraged me. “Exciting times ahead in the world of franchise cricket,” Wahab, who played 27 Tests, 91 One-Day Internationals, and 36 Twenty20 Internationals between 2008 and 2020, tweeted.
But, with the last international game scheduled for December 2020, it was clear that Pakistan had moved on from Wahab, whose period against Shane Watson at the 2015 World Cup remains one of the hottest ever. He has recently entered politics, serving as interim sports minister for the Punjab state in January of this year.
In a press release, Wahab said, “I have been speaking about my retirement plans for the past two years. My target year of retirement from international cricket is 2023, and I feel more confident than ever that I have served my country and National team to the best of my ability. “It has been a privilege and an honour to represent Pakistan on the world stage. As I say goodbye to this chapter, I’m eager to start a new journey in franchise cricket, where I hope to inspire and amuse spectators while facing off against some of the top players in the globe.
Wahab’s decision to retire from international cricket demonstrates how much he respects Pakistan’s burgeoning cricket talent. He is confident that the nation would maintain its stellar reputation for fast bowling, allowing him to focus on the intriguing challenges of franchise cricket.
