Wahab eyes another memorable outing

LONDON: As we meet in backyard of the team’s hotel in Swiss Cottage here on Tuesday, Wahab Riaz greets me. But he avoids shaking hands.

“It still hurts,” he says with a smile indicating towards his right hand. Wahab is talking about his broken finger that couldn’t stop him from playing a key role in a tense win against Afghanistan in Leeds on Saturday. So how is his hand, four days after Wahab suffered a fracture while taking part in fielding drills during a team’s training session at Headingley? “It’s a bit better but there is still pain. There is nothing I can do about it at moment,” he says.

Wahab was preparing to join his team-mates for a training session at Lord’s on Tuesday afternoon. He was looking forward to bowling in the nets. “That’s all I can do for now,” said Wahab who took two key wickets and hit a timely 9-ball 15 to help Pakistan secure a three-wicket win against Afghanistan.

But on Friday at Lord’s, he intends to once again make his presence felt, this time in Pakistan’s last group game against Bangladesh at Lord’s on Friday.“I really worked hard to earn a recall in the national team and won’t allow any injury like this to come in my way of giving my best for Pakistan,” said the 34-year-old left-arm pacer. Such is the scenario for Pakistan that they could be out of the World Cup even if they managed to beat Bangladesh on Friday.

“The team and I are all focused on the match against Bangladesh. Maybe we will qualify maybe we won’t but we have to give our best in it,” he said. If Pakistan are unable to qualify for the last four then the game against Bangladesh could be Wahab’s last World Cup appearance. He has an injury-prone track record and is unlikely to play in the next World Cup in 2023 in India. Will he try to it a memorable match? “I’m just focused on giving my best for Pakistan,” he said.