"Amir and Wahab 'gave us a dhoka' at the last minute" - Waqar Younis lashes out at Pakistan pace duo
Former Pakistan speedster, Waqar Younis has shot out at pacers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz for announcing their 'sudden' retirement from Test cricket last year that put Pakistan cricket in a spot of bother.
Amir called time on his Test career in June last year and Riaz followed suit a few months later in August, forcing Pakistan to field youngsters such as Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Musa in Australia.
In a video conference arranged by the Pakistan Cricket Board, Younis slammed the pace duo for giving their side 'dhoka' before the series in November-December.
"We took 2-3 youngsters to Australia, not just one. The main reason for that is, that Amir and Wahab 'gave us a dhoka' at the last minute, they decided they wouldn't play Tests 15-20 days before the tour. So we had to groom the younger lot, that is the reason we took them," said Younis.
Younis stressed on how Amir and Riaz's decision to focus on the shorter formats and go into their comfort zone did hurt the team, and also shed light on how they should have informed the higher-ups before taking the final call.
"If you're sitting on Twitter and resigning, that really hurts. You should have informed the board, the CEO, the head coach first. It was unfortunate that those two did this and we had to suffer because of it.
Currently serving as the Pakistan cricket team's bowling coach, Younis added that there is no grudge held against Amir and Riaz, but they did leave the team in a tough spot post their retirement.