Pakistan’s experienced fast bowler Wahab Riaz was forced to make a premature return to his country of residence from the UK after issues with his visa and the paperwork for the same.
“We are aware that Wahab Riaz has had an issue with his visa and is travelling back to Pakistan to prepare the correct paperwork. Trent Rockets will arrange for a short-term replacement if required.”
ECB spokesman for The Hundred told Cricbuzz,
The Rockets offered similar sentiments. The 36-year-old is now set to reapply for a work permit in the hope that he’ll soon be able to rejoin the franchise’s camp for The Hundred.
Cricbuzz reported, the Pakistan Cricket Board also “acknowledged that there was an incident involving the veteran pacer” but said the issue was not in their control as it doesn’t relate to the board since Wahab is not a centrally contracted player.
Wahab has played 27 Tests, 91 ODIs and 36 T20Is for Pakistan, with the last of those dating back to December last year. The pacer has fallen out of favour with the selectors and the management and thus wasn’t retained in the list of contracted players announced by the PCB. Wahab joined the team Rockets as a replacement to their Aussie recruit Nathan Coulter-Nile after the pacer opted out of the event.
Australian women star Ellyse Perry withdraws from The Hundred
Meanwhile, prominent Australian women’s team all-rounder Ellyse Perry has joined the list of names who have withdrawn from the inaugural season of The Hundred.
Perry, who had signed up the Edgbaston-based Birmingham Phoenix for the maiden 100-ball competition, has cited undisclosed personal reasons for opting out of it.
Perry is one of the modern-day giants in international cricket, with a great body of work behind her as an all-round cricketer across 8 Tests, 115 ODIs and 123 T20Is for the all-conquering Aussie women side.
Perry’s departure means that now there is no Australian women representation left at The Hundred for the forthcoming summer. Perry was the only of her country’s female players remaining available after 10 previous individual ousters, including that of captain Meg Lanning, because of a packed home international calendar for Australia.
