Wahab Riaz: “Mohammad Nawaz brings experience to the squad. We also want him to do well going forward. He needs to be consistent going forward”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan chief selector Wahab Riaz said he and the rest of the selection committee want spinner Mohammad Nawaz to “do well going forward” as he is an important member of the national team.
Nawaz has failed to take wickets regularly, especially in the middle orders, which has become a thorn in Pakistan’s side.
During the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, the 29-year-old only managed to take two wickets in five games at an average of 111.50 and an economy rate of 5.89.
Wahab acknowledged that Nawaz hasn’t been at his best and conceded that the Rawalpindi native has to be a lot more consistent in the future.
“Mohammad Nawaz brings experience to the squad. We also want him to do well going forward. He needs to be consistent going forward,” he was quoted as saying by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) website.
Nawaz didn’t feature in Pakistan’s three-Test series against Australia, which they lost 3-0, but he was picked for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
In the three games he played, he picked up three wickets at an average of 34.33 and an economy rate of 8.58.
Nawaz will now represent the Karachi Kings in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), which starts on February 17.
Karachi Kings Squad for PSL 9: Shan Masood (captain), James Vince, Hasan Ali, Shoaib Malik, Tabraiz Shamsi, Mir Hamza, Muhammad Akhlaq, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Kieron Pollard (partially available), Zahid Mehmood, Daniel Sams, Mohammad Nawaz, Tim Seifert (reserved), Mohammad Amir Khan, Anwar Ali, Arafat Minhas, Sirajuddin, Saad Baig, Jamie Overton, Leus Du Plooy, Mohammad Rohid