By Zainab Shafiq 
Wahab Riaz, the current sports adviser to CM Punjab and an international cricketer, has expressed his desire to join the upcoming national camp and work on his bowling. In a media interaction today, Riaz emphasized the importance of focusing on his future endeavors and mentioned that he has been training rigorously and maintaining regular bowling sessions to stay in rhythm.
Riaz, who last played an international match in December 2020, urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to include him in the training camp, as it would greatly benefit him to practice his bowling under such specialized conditions.
“I would like to request PCB to call me in the training camp. It will help me practice my bowling in a better way. By bowling for even half an hour in the camp would help me a lot,” Riaz added.
The PCB has scheduled specialized camps for national players from June 10 to 21, where spinners, fast bowlers, and batters will receive training under the guidance of specialized coaches. The list of invited players includes a range of talented individuals in each category.
Riaz also emphasized the significance of including senior players in the squad for the World Cup in India this year. He highlighted that unlike the T20 World Cup, where bowlers have a limited four-over spell, the longer format requires a greater reliance on experienced players.
“Our selectors should start working on making the right combinations. Bring senior players and add juniors to make good combinations,” Riaz emphasized.
Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup in India is subject to the government’s permission. As the time draws closer, the PCB will seek the federal government’s approval for their involvement. However, due to complications arising from India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, the official decision on hosting the tournament in Pakistan is still pending.
The PCB had proposed a hybrid model to accommodate India’s concerns, allowing them to play matches outside of Pakistan. Nonetheless, the Indian cricket board is reportedly influencing other ACC member boards to shift the event away from Pakistan.
As the cricketing landscape continues to evolve, Wahab Riaz’s request to join the national camp reflects his commitment to improving his skills and contributing to the team’s success in future endeavors.