Wahab Riaz retires from international cricket

Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz has announced his retirement from international cricket. He will continue to play franchise cricket around the globe.

The 38-year-old left-armer, who last represented Pakistan in December 2020, has played in three ODI World Cups (2011, 2015 and 2019) and finished with 237 international wickets across 27 Tests, 91 ODIs and 36 T20Is.
 

“It has been an honor and a privilege to represent Pakistan on the international stage. As I bid farewell to this chapter, I am thrilled to embark on a new adventure in franchise cricket, where I hope to entertain and inspire audiences while competing against some of the best talents in the world,” said Wahab in a media release.

Wahab made his international debut for Pakistan in an ODI against Zimbabwe back in February 2008. His memorable performances include a five-wicket haul in the 2011 World Cup semifinal against India in Mohali and a fiery spell of fast bowling against Shane Watson, coming against Australia in the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal match in Adelaide.

Wahab took an indefinite break from red-ball cricket in 2019 to focus on limited-overs cricket and now finally bids goodbye to the international arena.

“I have been speaking about my retirement plans for the past two years, that 2023 is my target to retire from International cricket, and I feel comfortable now more than ever that I have served my country and National team to the best I could have.”