Flamboyant, proven and a skillful white ball bowler, Derbyshire has signed Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz for this summer’s Vitality Blast.
The adept paceman will arrive ahead of this summer’s competition and be available for the first 10 group stage matches, bringing experience of Twenty20 tournaments the world over to The 3aaa County Ground.
Skiddy yet with raw pace, left-arm quick bowlers with variation to trouble any batsmen are a highly sought after service in the game’s shortest form and Riaz brings that in abundance with over 400 white ball wickets to his name.
The lively paceman broke into the Pakistan side in 2008, a time when legendary quick Shoaib Akhtar and formidable seamer Umar Gul were plying their trade in a strong attack.
An all-format player, Riaz has taken 83 Test wickets, but in recent years it has been the games shortest form in which he has shone, traveling the world to represent sides in England, the Caribbean and Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 tournaments.
In total, he has claimed 197 Twent20 wickets in 167 matches at an average of 21.22 with best figures of 5-17. In a recent tournament outing, at the highly competitive Caribbean Premier League last year, the 32-year-old took 10 wickets at an average of 22.8 and a strike rate of 17.5 for Barbados Tridents.
Known for an entertaining celebration and winks to the crowd when he gets the breakthrough, Riaz is sure to bring flare, exuberance and a winning mentality to Derby, as well as a canny knack of taking wickets and the ability to strike a ball in the lower order.
He now looks forward to a fast-paced Vitality Blast campaign with Derbyshire, aiming to lead the attack alongside the likes of Hardus Viljoen and Ravi Rampaul.
Welcome to Derbyshire, Wahab.
Vitality Blast is back! Derbyshire Falcons host seven Twenty20 games this July and August. Purchase your tickets in advance and save from £4. Buy online or call 01332 388 101.
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