Wahab Riaz

Some bowling spells transcend the match they were bowled in, and Wahab Riaz produced exactly that kind of spell against Australia's Shane Watson at the 2015 World Cup. Bowling with searing pace and a stream of short-pitched deliveries at a packed Adelaide Oval, Riaz turned that quarter-final into one of the most talked-about passages of fast bowling in the tournament's history, even though Pakistan went on to lose the match.

Wahab began playing cricket with his cousins before developing as a wicketkeeper-batter at Aitchison College. It was his pace, however, that eventually caught the selectors' attention. He progressed through Pakistan's age-group setup and was part of the side that won the 2004 Under-19 World Cup, coached by none other than Aaqib Javed. After a strong domestic season and impressive performances for Pakistan A, he earned his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2008.

Riaz's early international career was stop-start, with periods in and out of the Pakistan side. He continued to work on his pace and bowling action in domestic cricket and Pakistan A, eventually earning a Test debut against England at The Oval in 2010. He made an immediate impact, taking 5 for 63 in the first innings and announcing himself as a bowler capable of making things happen at the highest level.

But it was the 2011 World Cup that transformed Wahab's reputation. His most memorable performance came in the semi-final against India in Mohali, where he produced a fiery spell to take 5 wickets. Wahab continued to feature regularly for Pakistan across formats and became particularly valuable in ODI cricket. He was part of Pakistan's World Cup campaigns in 2015 and 2019. In the 2015 edition, he finished as Pakistan's leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets, with his duel against Shane Watson standing out as one of the defining moments of the tournament. After more than a decade at international level, Wahab announced his retirement from international cricket in 2023.

Retirement did not take Wahab away from Pakistan cricket for long. In November 2023, he was appointed chief selector of the Pakistan men's national selection committee, marking a shift from the field into one of the most influential roles in the country's cricket structure. He was later removed from the selection committee in July 2024. Wahab's involvement in the game continued beyond selection. He was appointed mentor of Pakistan's women's team in January 2026, working with the players in training camps and contributing to their preparation and development, before going on to take over as the team's head coach.