'We can't forget 1992 World Cup and its victorious captain': Wahab Riaz on PCB's minus-Imran Khan video
"They were our ideals. It is due to them that we began playing cricket," Wahab Riaz says
August 16, 2023
Former pacer Wahab Riaz said Wednesday the Pakistani nation can never forget its heroes as he took an exception to the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision of excluding cricketing great Imran Khan from a video that highlighted the historic achievements of the national squad since its inception in 1952.
In a press conference earlier today held to announce his retirement from international cricket, Riaz was asked about the cricket board's move of minusing the embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Khan from the video.
The experience former pacer, who will now play in international T20 leagues, said he had watched Khan, Akram, Younis, and others play during his childhood.
"They were our ideals. It is due to them that we began playing cricket. We can never forget the '92 World Cup. We can never forget the captain," he said about Khan who led Pakistan to its first-ever World Cup victory.
Riaz said Khan's status as a cricketer will always remain. "We have always idealised him and InshaAllah, I believe the young generation will also idealise their stars."
The board is under criticism for the last 48 hours as people demanded the PCB to delete the video as it did not include one of the greatest of all time.
Considered one of Pakistan's greatest captains in history, Khan led the Pakistani side to their only World Cup win in 1992. He has also mentored cricketing greats, including Akram, Waqar Younis, and Moin Khan.
The cricketer-turned-politician is currently behind bars on corruption charges after a court convicted him in the Toshakhana case, sentencing him to three years in prison and later, the election commission disqualified him for five years from running for office.
Pakistani cricket legend Wasim Akram also slammed the PCB's move of not including Khan in the video and demanded the board issue an apology.
Khan played 88 Tests and 175 ODIs for Pakistan over the course of his illustrious cricket career.
His averages, 37 with the bat and 22 with the ball, kept him at the top of the quartet of star all-rounders, with Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee and Kapil Dev being the others, who impressed one and all in Test cricket in the 1980s.
During Khan's last 10 years of international cricket career, he featured in 51 Tests, averaging a remarkable 50 with the bat and 19 with the ball.
Khan also led Pakistan to their first series victory in England in 1987 but the best moment of his career came when the Men in Gren clinched the 1992 World Cup trophy under his inspirational leadership.
