‘Abb akele Shaheen ka raaj hoga’ – Fans react as Wahab Riaz announces retirement from international cricket

Star Pakistan pacer Wahab Riaz announced his retirement from international cricket on 16 August, Wednesday. The 38-year-old took to Twitter to communicate his decision to the masses. “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 cricket!”, he wrote.

Wahab represented Pakistan in 27 Tests, 91 ODIs, and 36 T20Is with his final outing coming in 2020. He scalped 83 wickets in Test cricket at an average of 34.50, 120 in ODIs at 34.30, while in T20Is, he had 34 wickets at 28.55. He was recently involved with Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Outside the 22 yards, Wahab has a blossoming political career whereby he is appointed as the caretaker sports minister of the Punjab province of Pakistan in January 2023.

‘It has been an honor and a privilege to represent Pakistan’ – Wahab Riaz

Wahab also spoke about his decision in an official press statement. “I have been speaking about my retirement plans 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,” Wahab said in a press statement. “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,” he added.

While Wahab had plenty of marquee performances, his spell against Australia in the 2015 World Cup will always be a memorable one. After being mocked for his batting skills by Shane Watson, Wahab took it upon himself to shut Aussie mouths with his skills with the ball. He dismissed openers David Warner and Michael Clarke to bring the Aussie men down to 59/3 in 11 overs. Pakistan lost the game eventually but his efforts were widely praised.

Here’s how fans reacted: