Mickey Arthur: Wahab Riaz “has not won us a game in two years”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur has revealed that left-arm pace bowler Wahab Riaz was not part of the list of 25 probable players picked for the training camp ahead of the tour of England since “he has not won us a game in two years”.

Arthur also took aim at Wahab’s work ethic when it comes to training.

Wahab’s omission from the list of probables comes as a surprise, especially as he excelled during the recent Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he represented the Peshawar Zalmi and was the joint-highest wicket-taker with 18 victims at an average of 19.11.

“He has not won us a game in two years,” Arthur told ESPNcricinfo. “I expect players that have been around for a long time to be winning us games and setting standards. Otherwise we will invest in younger players who have long futures.

“We have good youngsters around. [Dropping] Wahab is a big decision but we have chosen a squad according to the time of year, country and conditions. The guys need to push themselves and get out of their comfort zones.”

Wahab did undergo a fitness test, where he scored 17.4, which is a passing mark. However, Arthur wanted him to be closer to 19. Furthermore, 18-year-old left-arm seamer Shaheen Afridi proved to be fitter than Wahab as he attained a score of 18.

“I cannot fault Wahab when he has a ball in his hand but his work ethic around training is something needs to be looked at,” Arthur said. “I am changing the culture in this Pakistan environment and I am not interested in players doing just the bare minimum.

“I want players winning us games of cricket and pushing themselves to be the best they can be. This is a high-performance environment, not a environment where mediocrity is accepted. Unless you are winning games consistently, you are under pressure for your position.”