Wahab Riaz in quest of World Cup spot

Pakistan pacer Wahab Riaz has expressed his desire to be a part of Men in Green’s International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup 2019 squad, after a match-winning performance during the ongoing Pakistan Cup in Rawalpindi.

A five-wicket haul by Riaz helped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) defeat defending champions Federal Areas by three wickets.

The 33-year-old veteran of 27 Tests, 79 ODIs and 27 T20Is returned figures of five wickets for 52 runs, as Federal Areas slipped from 94 for no loss to 269 all out in 45.3 overs after electing to bat first.

KP almost made a mess of the run-chase when they slipped from 162 for two to 238 for seven, before crossing the line with two balls to spare.

While speaking to media after the conclusion of the match, the left-arm pacer said: “It is my top priority to become a part of the upcoming World Cup squad. There is no doubt that we have many talented bowlers but the selectors will have to make the final choice as to who goes for the mega event.”

Talking about the likelihood of new talent coming through the Pakistan Cup, Riaz said that the pitches in Rawalpindi will bring good batsmen to the fore.   

“You cannot say that you will find new players for World Cup [from this tournament] but if we keep on making such wickets then you will find good batsmen for sure,” he said.

The Lahore-born also praised the curator for making pitches which has something in them for, both, bowlers and batsmen.  

“The groundsmen need to be given credit as the wicket is not only good for batsmen but also for fast-bowlers,” he said.