bowler
| Full name: | Wahab Riaz |
| Nationality: | Pakistan |
| League | Test | Odi | T20i | First class | List a | T20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 27 | 91 | 36 | 136 | 191 | 346 |
| Innings | 49 | 90 | 35 | 238 | 189 | 342 |
| Overs | 836.2 | 721.1 | 118.2 | 3888.0 | 1486.1 | 1233.5 |
| Balls | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Maidens | 118 | 20 | 2 | 659 | 60 | 21 |
| Runs | 2864 | 4117 | 971 | 12844 | 8011 | 9304 |
| Wickets | 83 | 120 | 34 | 441 | 260 | 409 |
| Avg | 34.5 | 34.3 | 28.55 | 29.12 | 30.81 | 22.74 |
| SR | 60.45 | 36.05 | 20.88 | 52.89 | 34.29 | 18.1 |
| Eco | 3.42 | 5.7 | 8.2 | 3.3 | 5.39 | 7.54 |
| BB | 7 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 5 |
| 4w | 3 | 5 | 0 | 23 | 11 | 4 |
| 5w | 2 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 3 |
| 10w | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| League | Test | Odi | T20i | First class | List a | T20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 27 | 91 | 36 | 136 | 191 | 346 |
| Innings | 41 | 66 | 18 | 193 | 129 | 203 |
| Not outs | 5 | 15 | 6 | 31 | 39 | 77 |
| Runs | 306 | 740 | 154 | 2675 | 1470 | 1700 |
| Balls Faced | 727 | 849 | 123 | 5060 | 1778 | 1308 |
| Avg | 8.5 | 14.5 | 12.83 | 16.51 | 16.33 | 13.49 |
| SR | 42.09 | 87.16 | 125.2 | 52.86 | 82.67 | 129.96 |
| Fours | 32 | 55 | 10 | 0 | 108 | 127 |
| Fifties | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 1 |
| Sixies | 5 | 30 | 7 | 0 | 47 | 74 |
| Highest | 39 | 54 | 30 | 84 | 77 | 53 |
| Hundreds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
A player hitting six sixes an over is not something fans see every day on cricket fields, and Iftikhar Ahmed achieved the feat during PSL’s exhibition match on Sunday. Moreover, the onslaught came against Wahab Riaz, who recently became interim sports minister of the Punjab government in Pakistan.
Wahab Riaz, born on June 28, 1985, is a former Pakistani cricketer and current cricket administrator. He served as the chief selector of the Pakistan national cricket team from November 17, 2023. Riaz also worked as an advisor to the Chief Minister of Punjab for sports and youth affairs in 2023, during Mohsin Raza Naqvi's caretaker government.
Riaz played as a left-arm fast bowler and a right-handed batsman. He bowled at speeds of around 90 mph (144.8 km/h) and reached 96 mph (154 km/h) at times. His strong performances in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup earned him global recognition. In 2018, Riaz was one of 33 players who received a central contract for the 2018-19 season from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). In September 2019, Riaz decided to take a break from red-ball cricket to focus on shorter formats. Later, in June 2020, he said he was open to returning to Test cricket for Pakistan's tour of England.
Riaz's involvement in politics started in January 2023 when he was appointed as sports minister in Punjab’s caretaker government. However, he couldn't take the oath due to his busy schedule. In March 2023, he became an advisor to the Chief Minister of Punjab for sports and youth affairs.
Wahab Riaz played in several major cricket leagues during his career. He was with Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League from 2016 to 2023. He also joined the Cape Town Blitz for the 2019/20 season in the Mzansi Super League. Riaz took part in the Bangladesh Premier League and the Lanka Premier League as well. In the Caribbean Premier League, he played for the Barbados Tridents from 2017 to 2018.
Wahab Riaz participated in multiple cricket leagues during his career. He was a part of the Pakistan Super League with Peshawar Zalmi from 2016 to 2023. He played a key role in their success, becoming the leading wicket-taker in the league. Riaz also appeared in several other leagues, including the Cape Town Blitz and the Caribbean Premier League, showing his skills on various global platforms.
|
Year |
Team |
Notes |
|
2016–2023 |
Peshawar Zalmi |
Played in all seven PSL seasons, becoming the league's leading wicket-taker with 30 wickets in 19 matches. Took his 100th PSL wicket in 2022. |
|
2019/20 |
Cape Town Blitz |
Participated in the Mzansi Super League for the 2019/20 season. |
|
2017–2018 |
Barbados Tridents |
Played for the Barbados Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League. |
Wahab Riaz joined the Cape Town Blitz for the Mzansi Super League in 2019/20. He had a strong start, taking 1/13 against Jozi Stars in his debut match. Later, he helped his team win against Tshwane Spartans, taking 2/18 in the match.
|
Year |
Team |
Notes |
|
2019/20 |
Cape Town Blitz |
Debuted in the Mzansi Super League, taking 1/13 and 2/18 in two matches. |
Wahab Riaz played for different teams in the Bangladesh Premier League. He joined Rangpur Riders in 2015 and 2016. In 2019, he played for Comilla Victorians and took 3/28 in the final. Later in 2019, he achieved a hat-trick against Khulna Titans. In 2023, Riaz was named Player of the Match after his strong performance for Rangpur Riders, where he took 4 wickets for 14 runs.
|
Year |
Team |
Notes |
|
2015/16 |
Rangpur Riders |
12 Runs, 1 Wicket |
|
2018/19 |
Comilla Victorians |
17 Runs, 16 Wickets |
|
2019/20 |
Dhaka Platoon |
59 Runs, 10 Wickets |
|
2022/23 |
Rangpur Riders |
23 Runs, 13 Wickets |
Wahab Riaz played in the Lanka Premier League for two teams. He was drafted by Kandy Tuskers for the first edition in 2020. In 2021, he joined Jaffna Kings and took 2 wickets for 31 runs in one match.
|
Year |
Team |
Notes |
|
2020 |
Kandy Tuskers |
First Lanka Premier League |
|
2021 |
Jaffna Kings |
2 Wickets for 31 Runs |
Wahab Riaz played in the Caribbean Premier League for Barbados Tridents in 2017 and 2018. In 2017, he took 2 wickets for 27 runs in a match against St. Lucia Kings. In 2021, he joined the St. Lucia Zouks team.
|
Year |
Team |
Notes |
|
2017 |
Barbados Tridents |
9 Runs, 10 Wickets |
|
2018 |
Barbados Tridents |
3 Runs, 9 Wickets |
|
2021 |
St. Lucia Zouks |
30 Runs, 11 Wickets |
Wahab Riaz started his domestic career in 2001, debuting in both First-Class and List A formats. His last First-Class match was in 2018, and his final List A match was in 2022. In T20 cricket, he played his first match in 2005 and last appeared in 2023.
Riaz played for Kent in county cricket. He took a hat-trick and 5 wickets for 17 runs in a T20 match. He also took 13 wickets in First-Class cricket and 9 in List A. His solid performances earned him a Category B contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). In domestic competitions, Riaz played for the National Bank of Pakistan in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, where he took 30 wickets and scored 213 runs. In the 2019 Pakistan Cup, he was the joint-leading wicket-taker.
Wahab Riaz took part in several other leagues in his career. In 2019, he joined the Brampton Wolves for the Global T20 Canada tournament. In 2018, he played for Kandahar in the Afghanistan Premier League. In 2022, he was bought by the Northern Superchargers for The Hundred tournament in England.
Wahab Riaz has achieved many significant records in cricket throughout his career.
Along with his cricket achievements, his personal life has attracted attention both for positive reasons and some controversies. Here’s an overview of his personal life:
Wahab is married to Zainab Chaudhary. They have three children: two daughters, Ethel (born in 2015) and Hoorain (born in 2020), and a son, Sikandar (born in 2023), named after his late father, Sheikh Sikandar Riaz, who was a businessman.
Wahab Riaz has a net worth of 72 crore, which comes from his cricket career and various endorsements.
In 2023, Wahab lived in a luxury home in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. A video surfaced of him driving his SUV at high speed through a flooded street in Lahore, splashing water onto other vehicles. Wahab later apologized for this action.
Wahab’s career has not been free of scandals. Here are some key events:
Wahab has a large following, but his relationship with fans has been mixed at times. In July 2024, a video of him missing a catch during a World Championship of Legends match went viral, and fans mocked him online. Additionally, in 2024, Wahab faced criticism after laughing when asked about Pakistan’s withdrawal from the 2024 T20 World Cup. Despite these controversies, he still enjoys a significant fan base, with 717k followers on Instagram.
