Wahab Riaz eager to prove himself on England tour

Pakistan fast-bowler Wahab Riaz, during a teleconference on Monday, expressed his eagerness to prove himself on the upcoming tour against England.

The 34-year-old revealed that he could not say no when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) contacted him for the tour.

“I am looking forward to performing well against England in the upcoming series. The tour is happening under unique circumstances. I could not say no when the PCB approached me regarding my availability for the Test side. I will be ready to play in the future as well if needed,” said Riaz.

“I focus on representing my country rather than focusing on white-ball cricket or red-ball cricket. I have not played Test cricket for a while. Right now I need to look at the team’s requirement rather than looking at the easier route,” he added.

ALSO READ: ‘Babar Azam’ queries register massive increase on Google

The left-armer also stated that he was ready for the challenge of facing the England side on their home soil.

“I am ready for the challenge as a professional. I will share my experience with the youngsters in the side. I am not satisfied with my performances as a player during my career. I played many matches in Dubai which supports spinners more. I had decided to leave the Test format since I was not getting chances. Now that I was needed, I was ready,” he said.

Riaz was not concerned about missing out on the central contract claiming that better performances would change things up next year.

“I try to better my performance whenever I am dropped. The young bowlers in the side are Pakistan’s future. I will try to lead them as a senior. Being in the management’s plan is more important than getting a central contract. If I perform well, I will get a central contract next year,” he said.

“I made a comeback in the 2015 World Cup by working hard. I will try to justify my selection for this tour with good performances as well. I trust the precautionary measures being taken for the tour. I do not think we will have any trouble on the tour,” he concluded.