Dubai: Changing one’s look can motivate to perform at his best. This has been proved by Peshawar Zalmi’s left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz. This pacer who has been out of form and been in and out of the Pakistan team is now sporting a drooping moustache.
It is so similar to Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson’s moustache that it is being called Johnson-esque moustache. In the opening match of the Pakistan Super League on Thursday night, Riaz bowled brilliantly for defending champions Peshawar.
“I have grown it to motivate myself. I consider it as a motivation basically to remind me who I am and what I am generally known for as a pacer. I have to bring that feeling back into me that I am a quick fast bowler and want to perform as best as I can with it and it should help me in the future,” said Riaz, who can generate a bit of fear if the batsman looks at his face while running in to bowl.
Riaz took two wickets, which included the prize wicket of Multan Sultan’s match winner Kumar Sangakkara. His pacey outswinger that forced Sanakkara to edge to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was a beauty and so was the delivery that got opener Ahmad Shahzad for a duck. Riaz also revealed that he considers Johnson as the fastest bowler in the world.
Cricketers now enjoy giving a weird look like India’s Hardik Pandya’s new hair style. Riaz kept on grinning to his fans to attract them to his unique style moustache. Win or lose, Riaz enjoys playing for Peshawar as he said: “Peshawar is the team that I have been playing for the last two years and I enjoy playing for them.”
“It was a good start for me. If I can perform in big tournaments like this it is very good. It gives you confidence too,” said Riaz.
To lose the first match is not a good feeling for anyone but it is only a start and it is all about the combination. Multan played better than us. We will try and win the coming matches.”
Riaz went on to laud his teammate Mohammad Hafeez who top scored with 59 runs. "Hafeez bhai (brother) has shown once again what kind of caliber and quality he has in him. It wasn’t easy to score those runs on a fresh wicket. Four good fast bowlers were bowling at him. So he scored those runs in tough conditons and has proved a point again that he is one of the best players in the Pakistan right now.”
Absence of hero Afridi
Riaz admitted that Shahid Afridi ,moving out from Peshawar to join Karachi Kings, is a loss. “Afridi is a match winner and whichever team he plays for he will be a match winners. So with Afridi we had a team combination so when such a match winner goes we need to recover especially youngsters coming in should grab the opportunities and perform well. A few victories will be good for these youngsters and also the team," he said.
As sweet as Multan Halwa
Multan Halwa is famous for its sweet taste. Whoever visits Multan makes it a point to bring this Halwa to UAE. So when debutants Multan Sultans won their opening match that too defeating defending champions Peshawar Zalmi, former Pakistan captain and commentator Rameez Raja tweeted: “A Great win for Sultans. It must have tasted every bit as sweet as Multani Halwa... in fact made a halwa of the opposition... what a way to announce yourself as a contender for HBL PSL3... impressive debut.”
