Wahab Riaz forgets how to bowl, gets trolled by Pakistan cricket fans

Wahab Riaz was in the news for all the wrong reasons in the Pink Ball Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Dubai as the left-arm pacer missed his bowling run-up five times in a row.

Wahab Riaz, the Pakistan left-arm pacer, was in the news during the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test on Saturday. The reason, he missed his bowling run-up as many as five times in a row.

Wahab Riaz missed his run-up five times in a row in one over during the Pink Ball Test and was trolled by Pakistan cricket fans as they looked to square the series against Sri Lanka. (Getty Images)

While attempting to deliver the penultimate ball of his 19th over — 111th over overall in the first innings — wherein Sri Lanka amassed 482, Riaz pulled out from his run-up five times in a row, which left his wicketkeeper-captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and coach Mickey Arthur baffled.

The incident drew a lot of criticism for the senior bowler, who later on got his act together to bowl impressively when Pakistan lost their ace seamer Mohammad Amir in the later stages of the day’s play. But a report from Samaa TV News Pakistan carried the headline: ‘Wahab Riaz forgets how to bowl’.

Having made his Test debut in 2008, Riaz already holds the unwanted record of most no-balls for overstepping, as he has crossed the 100-mark already.

However, India’s lanky pacer Ishant Sharma is the one with most no-balls in Tests starting 2010, but Riaz has the highest rate of no-balls per match. While Ishant has so far played 77 Tests, Riaz has this record in just 25 Tests so far.

At the end of the second day’s play, Pakistan were steady at 51 for no loss in reply to Sri Lanka’s first-innings total of 482. Pakistan trail by another 431 runs in the ongoing Test at Dubai.