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NEWS UPDATE : Asian Cricket Third Sri Lanka-Pakistan ODI abandoned due to rain COLOMBO: The third One-day International between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was abandoned due to rain here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday. The umpires made this decision after consulting ... Australia want to master all forms of game: Clarke SYDNEY: Australia's limited-overs tour of England and Ireland represents the start of a two-year campaign to make them the top nation in all three forms of the game, captain Michael Clarke said ... Bopara glad to be back for England SOUTHAMPTON, England: Ravi Bopara is eager to make up for lost times as he tries to revive his ... South Africa name unchanged squad for England series JOHANNESBURG: South Africa have kept faith with a winning formula by naming an unchanged squad for the three-Test series in England starting next month, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on ...


Friday, April 01, 2011

Wahab Riaz shines with career best bowling

Updated at: 1947 PST,  Wednesday, March 30, 2011
MOHALI: Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz emerged from the shadows with a career-best five for 46 in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final as India made 260 for nine.The 25-year-old left-armer, who comes from the Pakistan side of the border state of Punjab, has often only played when others were injured, and all eyes focused on the likes of reverse-swing specialist Umar Gul and express quick Shoaib Akhtar.However, Pakistan's decision to keep the 35-year-old Akhtar on the sidelines put Riaz in the spotlight, especially as he would have been the man dropped if the 'Rawalpindi Express' had been recalled.The pressure on Riaz was intensified further when the normally reliable Gul saw 21 runs struck off his second over during a flurry of boundaries from Virender Sehwag.Riaz, on as first change, stopped the rot when with only his fifth ball he had the dangerous Sehwag lbw.The paceman, who made his debut three years ago and whose previous best was three for 22 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2008, later struck twice in two balls to get rid of Virat Kohli and dangerman Yuvraj Singh.When he bowled Yuvraj, man-of-the-match in India's quarter-final win over champions Australia, for a first ball nought, an elated Riaz sprinted away from the pitch in a semi-circle of delight.And his joy was there for all in a capacity crowd to see again when he kissed the pitch after having Zaheer Khan caught behind to complete his maiden five-wicket haul.