Riaz in dreamland after five wickets on debut

Wahab Riaz said his dream had come true after he took five wickets on his debut to leave Pakistan well-placed in the third Test against England at The Oval on Wednesday.

Left-arm quick Riaz, brought in with Pakistan 2-0 down in this four-match series after Umar Gul was ruled out because of a hamstring injury, took five wickets for 63 runs in 18 overs as England were dismissed for 233.

And he finished the first day nought not out as a nightwatchman with Pakistan 48 for one, a deficit of 185 runs.

“It is all about dreams. It was my dream and it has come true,” Riaz told reporters after stumps.

The 25-year-old Riaz’s wickets were mostly top-order batsman with England captain Andrew Strauss, who won the toss, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan all succumbing to the new boy.

And No 9 Stuart Broad had made 48, helping Matt Prior (84 not out) to put on an England record 119 for the eighth wicket and rescue the team from the depths of 94 for seven, when Riaz had him lbw with a full-length delivery.

Riaz was picked for this match instead of fellow seamer Tanveer Ahmed despite only taking 14 wickets in Pakistan’s first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy last season compared to Ahmed’s 85.

But Riaz said his experience of A team cricket had helped him make the step up to Test level.

“When your main bowlers are bowling you don’t get a chance.

“When you get a chance you have to perform.

“Performing on A tours was a confidence booster. I was the highest wicket-taker in both the series - against Australia A and Sri Lanka A - so that played a role in my selection,” explained Riaz, whose previous experience of English conditions before this tour was limited to a season for Midlands club side Meakins.

Both Morgan, who made a century in England’s 354-run first Test victory at Trent Bridge, and Pietersen were caught behind by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal but Riaz said: “Morgan’s wicket pleased me more than any other because he has been scoring all the time, so it was on my mind to get him.

“Next time I want to get 10 wickets!.”

Riaz praised the role of Pakistan coach and former world-class fast bowler Waqar Younis, as well as the support of more experienced seamers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif for a five-wicket return on what the debutant said was a “batting paradise”.

“The advice Waqar gave me was to do your best,” said Riaz, who added Pakistan were looking for a lead of 150 to 200 runs.

“Aamer and Asif were boosting me, giving me the confidence I could do it.”

Prior, in at 67 for five, performed his second rescue mission of the series having made an unbeaten century at Trent Bridge after coming in at 72 for five.

“This team has a huge amount of confidence that whatever situation we are in, we can get out of it,” explained wicketkeeper Prior, who insisted the key factor in Riaz’s success was the “element of surprise”.

Pakistan will resume Thursday with recalled opener Yasir Hameed, playing his first Test in three years, 36 not out.

But Prior, having seen Pakistan dismissed for 80 at Trent Bridge and a record low against England of 72 in the hosts’ nine-wicket second Test win at Edgbaston, added: “We’ve got huge belief in our bowlers that they can get us back in the game.

“The reason Pakistan had those collapses has been the quality of our bowling and our fielding. If we can recapture that there’s no reason why we can’t take wickets again.”