Wahab Riaz set for on-field return in World Championship of Legends

Wahab Riaz of Pakistan celebrates the wicket of Jonny Bairstow of England during the Group Stage match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 between Pakistan and England at Trent Bridge on June 03, 2019 in Nottingham, England. - AFP

Former Pakistan pacer and current Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official Wahab Riaz is set to return to competitive cricket as part of the upcoming World Championship of Legends, scheduled to be held later this month in England.

Wahab, who has been actively involved with the PCB in various roles since retiring from international cricket five years ago, has been named in the Pakistan Champions squad for the tournament.

This marks a notable shift from earlier this year when he was denied permission to serve as Quetta Gladiators’ bowling coach during Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 10.

However, sources indicate that the former left-arm pacer is likely to be granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the PCB for this event.

In addition to the former left-arm pacer, the Pakistan Champions squad boasts several other prominent former players, including ex-captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sharjeel Khan, Asif Ali, Kamran Akmal, Aamer Yamin, Sohail Khan, and Sohail Tanvir.

The team is owned by Kamil Khan, brother-in-law of former head coach Waqar Younis.

The former chief selector has also shown interest in coaching roles within the PCB setup and has been mentoring bowlers in recent skills camps.

He previously headed the PCB’s Champions Cup mentorship project, which featured Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Malik, and Waqar Younis as mentors.

The PCB has clarified its policy on former cricketers’ participation in foreign leagues, allowing them—like current players—to compete in up to two leagues per year. However, they do not receive PCB salaries during their league commitments.

Pakistan Champions reached the final of the previous edition of the World Championship of Legends but lost to India under the captaincy of Younis Khan. The participation of Younis and Misbah in this year’s tournament remains uncertain.

For the unversed, on July 18, Pakistan Champions will play England Champions at the famous Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham to start the second season of the WCL.

Scheduled for July 20 at the same location is the much awaited conflict between archrivals India and Pakistan.

Complete Tournament Schedule:

League Stage

July 18 (Friday): England Champions vs Pakistan Champions

July 19 (Saturday): West Indies Champions vs South Africa Champions

July 19 (Saturday): England Champions vs Australia Champions

July 20 (Sunday): India Champions vs Pakistan Champions

July 22 (Tuesday): England Champions vs West Indies Champions

July 22 (Tuesday): India Champions vs South Africa Champions

July 23 (Wednesday): Australia Champions vs West Indies Champions

July 24 (Thursday): South Africa Champions vs England Champions

July 25 (Friday): Pakistan Champions vs South Africa Champions

July 26 (Saturday): India Champions vs Australia Champions

July 26 (Saturday): Pakistan Champions vs West Indies Champions

July 27 (Sunday): South Africa Champions vs Australia Champions

July 27 (Sunday): India Champions vs England Champions

July 29 (Tuesday): Australia Champions vs Pakistan Champions

July 29 (Tuesday): India Champions vs West Indies Champions

Knockout Stage

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