Wahab Riaz, a retired cricketer from Pakistan, was known for his skills as a left-arm fast bowler and a right-handed batsman. Renowned for consistently delivering balls at speeds nearing 90 mph, he even reached a notable top speed of 96 miles per hour. His remarkable all-round display in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 garnered him international acclaim.
Bio/Wiki
Age-38year
Height-1.85m
Weight-82kg
Born- 28 June 1985
Birthplace- Lahore, Pakistan
Profession-Cricketer
Spouse- Zainab Chudary (m. 2013)
Nationality-Pakistani
Dates joined: 2019 (Comilla Victorians, Dhaka Dominators), 2018, MORE
Parents
Born into a Punjabi Gujjar family, Wahab Riaz’s birthdate is June 28, 1985. His father, Muhammad Sikandar Riaz Kasana, was engaged in business activities. His mother’s name is not known.
Wife & Children
Riaz got married to Zainab Chaudhary, and they have three children, two daughters Eshal (b. 2015) and Hoorain (b. 2020), and a son, Sikandar (b. 2023).
Career
Professional career
Riaz was chosen to play for Pakistan in a T20I series against India and Bangladesh. In his first match against Bangladesh, he took 3 wickets for 22 runs in 7 overs. In the next match against India, he secured two wickets but conceded 85 runs.
He made his Test debut in the third test of the 2010 series against England. In England’s first innings, Riaz claimed 5 wickets for 63 runs. In Pakistan’s first innings, he batted at number 3 and scored 27 runs.
During a Test series against South Africa in October 2010, Riaz played in the first Test and dismissed Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla. However, he suffered a side strain and was ruled out of the rest of the series.
In March 2011, Riaz performed well for Pakistan, particularly in the 2011 Cricket World Cup semifinal against India, where he replaced Shoaib Akhtar and took 5 wickets.
Following the World Cup, he joined the West Indies tour and played in ODIs and a T20I. He was also signed by Kent in county cricket and made his T20 debut, performing impressively, including a hat-trick in his home debut match.He received a category B central contract from PCB in August. Rested during Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe, he was recalled for a Test series against England and also played in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy.
In August 2016, he had a challenging ODI match, conceding 110 runs in 10 overs, which is the second-worst bowling performance in ODI history.
In 2018 and 2019, he participated in the Pakistan Cup representing Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, respectively, and emerged as the top wicket-taker with ten dismissals in the latter tournament.
Politics
In January 2023, Riaz got a new job in politics. He was chosen to be the sports minister in a temporary government in Punjab, led by Mohsin Raza Naqvi. However, because he was very busy, he couldn’t officially start the job by taking an oath. Later, on March 22, 2023, he was given another role as the Advisor to the Chief Minister of Punjab. This role was for sports and youth affairs.
Net Worth 2023
Right now, the player is thought to have around $2 million USD in total.
Wahab Riaz Retirement
Pakistan’s veteran fast bowler, Wahab Riaz, has declared his retirement from international cricket, officially concluding a 15-year-long stint representing his nation. In reality, this announcement serves as a formal acknowledgment, given that Wahab has remained absent from Pakistan’s international matches for over two years, with his last appearance occurring in a couple of white-ball encounters towards the close of 2020.
In line with the current trend, he will maintain his involvement in franchise cricket. Wahab stated in a press release, “I have been discussing my retirement plans for the past two years, with 2023 set as my target to bid farewell to international cricket. I am now more certain than ever that I have dedicated myself to my country and the national team to the best of my abilities.” He expressed his honor and privilege in representing Pakistan on the global stage and conveyed his excitement for a new journey in franchise cricket. He aims to captivate and motivate audiences while competing against some of the world’s finest talents.
Wahab’s career has taken an unexpected trajectory recently, as he was appointed as the interim sports minister for Pakistan’s Punjab province in January of this year.
This announcement marks the conclusion of an illustrious career that didn’t consistently achieve the elevated expectations that were associated with it on various occasions. Notably, his breakthrough came with his Test debut in 2010, a standout performance during Pakistan’s victorious match against England at The Oval. However, his journey was marred by controversies, including his association with the spot-fixing allegations that embroiled his teammates.
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