Published 13:10 IST, November 4th 2020
Wahab Riaz reacts to Shane Watson's retirement, ignores 2015 World Cup rivalry
Pakistan pacer Wahab Riaz was among the people who wished Shane Watson on his retirement as he took to Twitter and praised the Australian on a fantastic career.
Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson decided to call time on his glorious cricketing career as he retired from all forms of cricket on Tuesday. The bulky all-rounder who hung his boots from international cricket in 2016 continued to play franchise cricket all over the world where he set the stage ablaze with his exceptional performances.
Wahab Riaz honoured to have shared field with Shane Watson
The Shane Watson retirement news was confirmed by a tweet made by the cricketer himself. As soon as the Shane Watson retirement news broke out, fans as well as cricketers took to social media to wish the Australian veteran on an illustrious career spanning almost two decades. Several reactions poured in as fans lauded the champion cricketer for his contribution to the sport.
Pakistan pacer Wahab Riaz was also among the people who wished Watson on his retirement. The left-arm quick took to Twitter and praised Watson on a great career. He also said that it was an honour for him to share the field with such a brilliant cricketer, having done so in the Pakistan Super League in recent years.
Riaz's wish for Watson might come as a surprise to a few considering the history that they share. The duo was involved in a fierce battle during the quarter-final match of the 2015 World Cup between Australia and Pakistan after Watson allegedly sledged the Pakistani when he was batting. In reply, Riaz's bombardment of sharp bouncers had tied the Australian completely as he had no answers for the Pakistani speedster's pace and accuracy. The Wahab vs Watson spell is regarded as one of the best moments in World Cup history.
Riaz might have had the upper hand during the clash between the two, however, it was Watson who had the last laugh as he remained unbeaten on 64 off 66 balls to guide Australia to a win and thus book a place in the semi-final. Riaz ended the game with figures that read 9-0-54-2.
Shane Watson career stats
Speaking about the Watson career stats, the Australian played more than 700 international and domestic matches, scoring more than 25,000 runs. With his bowling skills, he has claimed more than 600 wickets. Speaking about his Dream11 IPL performances, Watson scored has scored 3,874 ruins from 145 matches and has taken 92 wickets.
Throughout his career, he played for three IPL franchises i.e. Chennai, Rajasthan and Bangalore. Whether in the Dream11 IPL or for the Australian national side, Watson was considered the 'Man of the Big Stage', with several Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament Awards to his name.
He was part of Australia's 2006 and 2009 Champions Trophy as well as 2007 World Cup winning teams, playing an integral role in each of them. In the Dream11 IPL, Watson is renowned for scoring a hundred in the 2018 final against Hyderabad, which was a winning effort eventually. And in the 2019 final, Watson top scored again, with a gritty 80, although Chennai lost the game to Mumbai by 1 run.
SOURCE: WAHAB RIAZ TWITTER
Updated 13:10 IST, November 4th 2020