Former Indian cricket legend Virender Sehwag bashes Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Amir, accusing them of using their positions of power to unfairly influence the national team selection.
Riaz, who had announced his retirement from international cricket last year, was recently appointed as the chief selector of the Pakistan men’s national team. Shortly after his appointment, his former teammate Amir, who had also retired from the national team, made a surprising comeback to the Pakistani squad.
Addressing this turn of events, Sehwag questioned the intentions and integrity of Riaz in his new role as the head of the selection committee. “Wahaz Riaz and Mohammad Amir are the two names who used to give their opinions on Pakistan TV news channels against their national team. Now one of them is a selector and the other is in playing XI. They were criticising the team once and now when they have come to power, what are they doing?” Sehwag said on Cricbuzz during a discussion.
The outspoken former Indian opener went on to suggest that Riaz’s appointment as the selector has led to a concerning scenario where he is now seemingly favoring his former teammate Amir, despite their past criticism of the national team. “Amir has played with me so let’s take him in the team,” Sehwag said, mimicking Riaz’s alleged thought process.
Sehwag stressed that this kind of favoritism and lack of objectivity in team selection is unacceptable, drawing a comparison to the Indian scenario. “Now that Ajit Agarkar is the chairman of selectors for BCCI, he would say ‘Come on Viru, I’ll help you make a comeback into the team’. This is not done. You have to see the future. You have become a selector, you have a job in hand. Use it in the right way, don’t do favours,” he added.
Sehwag’s viewpoint highlights the growing concerns over the perceived lack of transparency and impartiality in Pakistan’s cricket administration. As the national team continues to navigate the challenges of international competition, the former Indian star has called for a more accountable and meritocratic approach to team selection, urging Riaz and Amir to put the interests of Pakistan cricket above personal agendas.
