Wahab Riaz, recently removed from his roles as senior team manager and member of the selection committee following Pakistan’s dismal T20 World Cup campaign, is back in the spotlight. This time, he’s headed to the Maldives for an International Cricket Council (ICC) coaching workshop scheduled for July 29-30.
Out of Favor or Still Favored?
The move comes as a surprise to many fans and critics who speculated that Wahab had fallen out of favor with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
Wahab’s close ties with Naqvi, stemming from his tenure as a provincial minister during Naqvi’s time as Chief Minister of Punjab, were thought to be severed. But, it appears the bond remains strong.
The PCB announced, “The ICC will hold a two-day High-Performance workshop in Maldives on 29-30 July. Former Test cricketer Wahab Riaz and former international cricketer Shahid Anwar (head coach National Cricket Academy) will participate in the workshop.”
This workshop aims to provide the latest coaching techniques and strategies to identify and nurture grassroots talent. Alongside this, the PCB revealed that General Manager Academies Dr. Imran Abbas will attend a four-day ICC Level-2 Tutors training course in Malé starting July 24.
The course will be conducted by former Pakistan cricketer Iqbal Sikander and former Bangladesh Test captain Amin-ul-Islam, aiming to equip member countries with qualified Level-2 tutors to train coaches.
Controversy Over Wahab Riaz
The real issue, however, lies in Wahab’s qualifications—or lack thereof. Critics argue that Wahab is not a qualified coach and has no coaching experience at the domestic or local levels.
They believe that many seasoned coaches in Pakistan, who regularly work at the grassroots level, were overlooked in favor of Wahab, possibly due to his good relations with the PCB chairman.
This decision has sparked criticism and raised questions about Naqvi’s promises of systemic change within the PCB. The selection of Wahab for this prestigious workshop, despite his lack of coaching credentials, highlights ongoing favoritism and the need for merit-based decisions in Pakistan cricket.
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 coaching workshop scheduled for July 29-30.){kind=link}