Wahab Riaz retires from international cricket

Wahab Riaz retires from international cricket. Wahab Riaz, a Pakistani speedster, called time on his “incredible journey” on Wednesday by announcing his retirement from international cricket.

The left-armer announced the news in a post on his official X account, which was formerly known as Twitter.

The 38-year-old will continue to compete in international T20 leagues.

“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.

???? 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. ????

Exciting times ahead in the world of franchise…

— Wahab Riaz (@WahabViki) August 16, 2023

2008 saw Riaz make his ODI and T20I debuts, while 2010 saw him make his Test debut.

Over the course of his career, the Lahore native participated in 36 T20Is, 91 ODIs, and 27 Tests for Pakistan. In international cricket, he claimed more than 200 wickets.

Riaz became the ninth Pakistani bowler to take five wickets on debut when he recorded 5 for 63 in his Test debut against England at The Oval in 2010.

His best ODI performance came against India in the World Cup semi-final in Mohali, where he took 5 for 46. His victims included MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, and Yuvraj Singh.

Shahid Afridi and Sunil Shetty meeting

In the 2015 World Cup match in Adelaide, Riaz bowled one of the most memorable spells in Pakistan cricket history when he misled Australia’s Shane Watson with his pace and bounce.

In a T20I match against New Zealand in Hamilton in December 2020, the pacer played his final match for his country.