Wahab Riaz's Moments of Magic

Wahab Riaz in action during the World Cup 2015 quarter final against Australia

Extreme. Inconsistent. Mercurial. These are the words people use to describe Pakistani Cricket. Fantastic one day, horrendous the next. Better than the best on their day. Worse than the worst when it’s not. They lose when nobody expects them to. They win when nobody expects them to. Therein lies the beauty of Pakistani Cricket. In its capacity to shock. In its capacity to surprise. This is Pakistani Cricket. This is Wahab Riaz . The symbol of modern day Pakistani Cricket.

If there is one thing Pakistan is not inconsistent at, it is at producing high-quality fast bowlers. Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Aaqib Javed, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar. The list is pretty close to being endless.

Wahab Riaz is not an all time great. He is not even the best in his generation. Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amir were there before being banned for spot-fixing. Junaid Khan and Mohammed Irfan still are, when their extremely fragile bodies support them. All of them are better than Wahab.

Then what sets him apart? It’s the fact that the others are consistently consistent. Wahab is not. They are reliable. Wahab is not. They won’t shock or surprise you. Wahab will. They will not enthrall you. Wahab will. It is this feeling of not knowing what's coming next that draws you to Wahab Riaz. It’s that sense of thrill, it’s that sense of excitement that draws you to Wahab Riaz. There is just something about him.

Thursday, 30 March. India vs Pakistan, Semi Final, World Cup. 5:27 pm

Wahab Riaz bends down and touches his forehead to the ground. He has just taken his fifth wicket. Nobody expected him to. He wasn’t even supposed to play. What happened during the previous three hours was the stuff of dreams. It was career changing. It was life changing.

Shoaib Akhtar had announced that he was going to retire after the World Cup. This match was being built up as Shoaib Akhtar’s last one against India. Pakistan were supposed to unleash the Rawalpindi Express on India, one last time. The Pakistani captain, Shahid Afridi, had talked of the impact Shoaib Akhtar would create. The Indians said they were well equipped to handle him. The stage was set. He was supposed to be their key man. He wasn’t.

As only Pakistan can do, at the last moment, they decide not to play him. It is a shocking decision. Pakistan are going in to what is probably the most high-profile match of the 21st century with just two specialist pacers, Wahab Riaz and Umar Gul. These two are now under massive pressure. It is going to be tough, very tough. Green wicket. World Cup Semi Final. Asked to bowl first. Their best bowler sitting on the bench. The whole stadium against them. One cracks. The other doesn’t.

Afridi doesn’t open with Wahab. Gul is given the new ball. He has had a pretty decent World Cup upto that point. Today, he seems rusty. He is not running in. He is ambling. The occasion has gotten to him. In his second over, Virender Sehwag smashes five boundaries. He destroys the ball. He destroys the bowler. Gul is taken off. The stadium is going berserk. Sehwag does this to crowds. Though this seems a bit too much even by his standards.

This is the time Wahab Riaz is called on. He marks his run. He warms up. He bowls his first three balls without much drama. He waits before the fourth ball. Sehwag has some issues with the sight screen. Sehwag smiles, as always. He probably doesn’t know who Wahab Riaz is. Most people don’t.

Wahab Riaz dismisses Virat Kohli in the 2011 World Cup semi final

They come to know within the next three hours. Wahab bounces Sehwag. He ducks. Wahab grins. It’s more of a smirk, The first glimpse of the showman within him. Wahab pitches the next one full. Sehwag plays. Sehwag misses. It hits his pad. Wahab appeals. Sehwag is out. Wahab roars. The stadium goes silent. In the space of two balls, Wahab has announced himself to the world. That wicket has released all the pressure. This is Wahab’s day.

After the second ball of his fifth over, Wahab is resting his hands on his knees. He has just got Virat Kohli. In walks India’s World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh. The crowd comes to life. ‘Yuvi, Yuvi’ is all they are chanting. Yuvraj marks his guard.

Wahab has that smirk on his face. He licks his lips. He steams in. The ‘Yuvi’ chant is getting louder. Wahab delivers the most perfect yorker. It's fast and it’s well directed. It beats Yuvraj. It shatters his stumps. Yuvraj looks on in disbelief. Wahab roars again. His roar silences the crowd again. He proceeds to take two more wickets.

He did all he could do to win Pakistan that match. Pakistan didn’t. But it seems that in Wahab Riaz, a star is born. In the space of three hours, he went from being an ordinary cricketer to someone special. Someone who is not bothered by pressure. Someone who could create these moments of magic.

In the next four years, Wahab never reached that peak again. He promised a lot. He delivered less. Wahab didn’t get too many wickets. But he bowled well. He made cricket more excitable. He was aggressive. He was fast. He sledged. He bounced batsmen. He tried. He failed. He tried again. And again. And again.

Even though he was not picking too many wickets, there was something that was very appealing about him. Maybe it was his aggression, maybe it was his speed, maybe it was his ability to bring life into a dead game, maybe it was the expectation of him creating another moment of sheer magic, but there definitely was something.

Friday, 20 March. Pakistan vs Australia, Quarter Final, World Cup 2015

Wahab’s second moment of magic in a World Cup.

This is supposed to be a one-sided contest. Australia are expected to streamroll Pakistan. Logic suggests so. But, with Pakistan in the equation, logic is not of much use, is it? Their routes to the quarter final could not have been more different. Australia eased their way into it. Pakistan huffed and puffed. They thrashed South Africa, almost lost to Zimbabwe.

In other words, Pakistan were Pakistan. They were pretty unlucky to begin with. They lost their two premier bowlers, Junaid Khan and Mohammed Irfan, to injuries in the initial stages. Wahab was leading this attack. For the first time. At the age of 29, seven years after making his debut. And he was leading it well. He had 14 wickets from 6 matches. He was carrying Pakistan. In the quarter final Pakistan needed him to create the moment of magic that he created four years ago. He did.

170 runs in 42 overs. 9 wickets in hand. Australia only need to do this much to win when Wahab comes on to bowl. Wahab stands at the top of his run. He exhales deeply. He is ready. He is intent on stopping Australia’s charge. This time he has half the crowd supporting him. Off his 5th ball, David Warner sends one down the throat of third man. Wahab is pumped up. He roars. The stadium roars with him.

Michael Clarke walks in gingerly. He has a bad back. He has a lot of trouble facing the short ball. Wahab is in no mood to relent. A short leg is put in place. Wahab is building up his pace. Wahab pitches short. Clarke survives. Wahab stares. Clarke stares back. Wahab smirks. Showman.

Next over. Wahab is in full flow now. He is touching 150 km/h. He runs in. He pitches it short. Into the rib cage. Clarke moves his head. He manages to get some bat to it. It carries to short leg. Wahab is over the moon. He roars again. The stadium roars with him again. The atmosphere is electric. Wahab is on fire. The crowd is cheering him. This is why the players play the game. This is why we watch the game. It is for moments like this.

Wahab vs Watson, one of cricket’s greatest duels ever

What follows in the next twenty minutes is probably one of the most exciting phases the game has ever seen. Shane Watson is the next man in. He is Wahab’s main target. Watson is not ready for what is going to happen next.

Wahab Riaz and Shane Watson during the 2015 World Cup quarter final

Wahab can sense the fear in his eyes. He just smirks. First ball. Short. Fast. Fiery. Almost takes Watson’s head on the way to the keeper. Wahab comes to Watson. Wahab stares. Wahab has a little chat with Watson. Watson stares back. Wahab laughs. Watson just looks away. Next ball. Short again. 150 km/h. Wahab glares at him for one, two, three seconds, then starts loudly applauding his team-mates.

Wahab owns Watson. Wahab pitches it short. Watson misses. Watson escapes. Watson gets hit. Watson offers half chances. Wahab goes up to Watson and starts clapping. The crowd claps with him. Shouts with him. They are now waiting to roar with him. Wahab has broken Watson. In his fifth over, Watson offers an easy chance to fine leg.

Watson has been defeated. Australia’s spirit has been defeated. Australia will collapse and lose this match to Pakistan. Wahab will be their hero.

This was what should have happened. It didn’t. That chance at fine leg was never taken. Instead of breaking Watson, it broke Wahab. Australia won without losing another wicket.

Wahab ended up conceding 54 runs from his 9 overs. Pakistan were knocked out of the World Cup. Wahab cried. Pakistan cried. For, he deserved better. He deserved to be called a hero, the hero who single-handedly won Pakistan crucial, high-voltage World Cup matches. He deserved it because of the two moments of magic he created. He deserved it because of the joy he gave to this cricket crazy world. He deserved it because he gave us the reason we watch sport, the reason we love sport.

Sadly that happy ending never came. Not in 2011. Not in 2015. But we will wait for that happy ending. And we will wait for Wahab’s next moment of magic.