Left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz: “I wanted to continue playing for Pakistan but that is difficult and nearly impossible right now. Pakistan has good fast bowlers at the moment and there is no place for me in the side”
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Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz admitted that it was “nearly impossible” for him to get picked in the national team, making it one of the key reasons why he decided to retire from international cricket.
Wahab brought the curtains down on his international career in August 2023 after trying to revive his Pakistan career for many years.
He last played for the men in green in December 2020, but despite giving it everything he had, the 38-year-old from Lahore just couldn’t convince the selectors to give him another chance.
One of the main reasons why Wahab believes he was overlooked is due to the fact that Pakistan have a number of outstanding pace bowlers right now, such as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf.
“I wanted to continue playing for Pakistan but that is difficult and nearly impossible right now,” he was quoted as saying by Geo Super.
“Pakistan has good fast bowlers at the moment and there is no place for me in the side.”
The men in green are currently involved in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, but find themselves on the verge of elimination.
After winning their first two games against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, Pakistan succumbed to defeats against India, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa.
With the team on a four-game losing streak, they will be looking to end it when they take on Bangladesh on October 31 in Kolkata.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali