Wahab Riaz withdraws from the Lahore squad for the National T20 Cup after major backlash

Wahab Riaz, former Pakistan cricketer and national selector, has withdrawn his name from the Lahore squad for the National T20 Cup. This move came after Riaz received severe backlash from the cricketing community for misusing his power.

During the March tournament, Wahab Riaz was supposed to wear the Lahore Whites shirt. He recently demonstrated his bowling and batting skills in a trial match, which led to this development. 

Wahab played for Lahore Greens in the Lahore Region Cricket Association trial match at Aligarh Ground. He dismissed the young, talented batsman Rana Arsalan with one wicket for 25 runs in his three-over performance. Wahab scored a scorching 31 runs with the bat, including three soaring sixes.

The National T20 Cup selection procedure included the trial, and Wahab Riaz appears to have performed well enough to be included in the squad. 

Wahab Riaz withdraws his name from the Lahore squad for the National T20 Cup

A long-standing issue in Pakistani cricket is the presence of former players on domestic rosters, which frequently impedes the advancement of newer players. Another illustration of this pattern was the addition of Wahab Riaz to the Lahore Whites' roster.

Wahab last participated in the PSL in 2023, while he last played for Pakistan in 2020. After a brief stint on PCB's selection committee, the left-armer seemed to settle into a managerial position.

Therefore, the backlash to the report of Wahab Riaz trying to play for Lahore in the National T20 Cup was swift and severe. As per reports, the 39-year-old has bowed to pressure and taken his name back from the squad.

“Wahab Riaz has withdrawn from the squad after facing intense criticism from fans, who voiced concerns that younger players were being denied opportunities. The former chief selector also opted out due to personal commitments and the upcoming Champions Trophy, further influencing his decision to step away from the tournament,” the Geo Super TV report stated.

The Lahore Regional Cricket Association has replaced Wahab with Ahmad Bashir, according to an official.

Not only did Wahab Riaz attempt to play for Lahore, but PCB also included veteran players Shoaib Malik (43) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (37) in the squads for Sialkot and Karachi, respectively. This despite them not being part of the Pakistan squad for a long time.

Mansoor Amjad, the head coach of Sialkot, confirmed Shoaib's retention, stating that the choice fits with the team's "infield mentoring" policy, which aims to teach young players from more seasoned cricketers during games.

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