Wahab Riaz looking to impress Babar Azam at Peshawar Zalmi
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Wahab Riaz hopeful of national team comeback (Twitter)
In a bid to make a comeback to the national side, seasoned pacer Wahab Riaz, is pulling out all the stops to impress his captain, Babar Azam, during the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The Peshawar Zalmi player, who captained the team during the last season, stepped down from the role after Babar joined the squad. During the post-match press conference after Peshawar Zalmi's four-wicket victory over Quetta Gladiators on Monday, Wahab expressed his delight in having the Pakistan captain lead the side.
The experienced bowler noted that he had a better chance to showcase his skills and make a comeback to the national team. He further added that he could execute his bowling well under less pressure from Babar's leadership.
The left-arm quick is optimistic about his chances of playing in the 2023 World Cup in India and replicating his match-winning performance from the 2011 World Cup semi-final against eventual winners India.
The fast bowler emphasised that his goal was to win matches in the current tournament under different situations, and that his performance would depend on how well he bowled under pressure.
The Pakistan veteran's ambition to represent his country on the world stage is palpable, as he stated that if it’s in his fate, he will make it to the Pakistan squad for ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
Meanwhile, Wahab hasn’t had the best of starts to his PSL 2023 campaign. After securing two wickets for 34 runs in his four overs in Zalmi’s opening game against Karachi Kings, the southpaw has gone wicketless in the next two games against Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators, conceding 44 and 25 runs respectively in his allotted quota of four overs each.
The seasoned speedster will need to put in much better performances if he desires to make it to the Pakistan squad for the marque event.
 "Jatin")
