Wahab Riaz likely to get NOC for WCL as Pakistan Champions squad takes shape

Wahab Riaz is eager to pick up the ball again, as the former pacer affiliated with the PCB is set to participate in the World Championship of Legends. Previously, he was not granted permission to work as a bowling coach in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), but now it appears likely that a No Objection Certificate (NOC) will be issued. 

According to details, Wahab Riaz has been working with the Pakistan Cricket Board in various roles for quite some time. He was even appointed as the head of the five mentors selected for the Champions Cup — a project that has since been discontinued. Despite clear signals from the PCB, none of the mentors except Shoaib Malik have resigned. The other mentors include Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Waqar Younis. Terminating their contracts would require the board to pay them three months’ salary, as they earn PKR 5 million per month.

Wahab Riaz has not played international cricket for nearly five years, with his last appearance for Pakistan coming in December 2020 against New Zealand in Hamilton. Now, he is part of the Pakistan Champions team in the World Championship of Legends, a team owned by Kamil Khan — brother-in-law of Waqar Younis. Wahab had earlier been denied permission to become Quetta Gladiators’ bowling coach for PSL 10, but sources now say he will be issued an NOC for the upcoming tournament scheduled in England this month.

Wahab also aims to coach the Pakistan Shaheens in the future and was recently seen guiding bowlers in a skills camp. Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed will also be part of the Legends event. The PCB has clarified that, similar to current players, former cricketers are allowed to participate in two leagues per year. However, they are not paid by the board during this period.

Last year, the Pakistan Champions team was defeated by India in the final of the World Championship of Legends, under the captaincy of Younis Khan. However, the participation of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq in this year’s edition remains uncertain.

So far, the participation of the following 10 players has been confirmed: Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sharjeel Khan, Wahab Riaz, Asif Ali, Kamran Akmal, Aamer Yamin, Sohail Khan, and Sohail Tanvir.