Wahab Riaz retires from international cricket after ‘incredible journey’

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.