Make Wahab Riaz captain: Ramiz Raja

Adelaide, March 22 (IANS) Former batsman Ramiz Raja suggested on Sunday that fast bowler Wahab Riaz should be appointed Pakistan cricket captain after Misbah-ul-Haq retired as the One-Day International (ODI) skipper following the team's ouster from the 2015 World Cup.

"It's a difficult one because Pakistan have not yet trained a youngster. What I saw of Wahab against Australia convinces me that he's got it in him to make it big as a leader because he showed aggression, passion and emotion and that is what is required right now to put Pakistan cricket back on track," Ramiz was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

"The team think-tank have not really been able to give Pakistan that aggressive tag that it's renowned for and I've been very disappointed with the route that we have taken. Pakistan cricket is about emotion, about showing passion and to a certain degree about being unpredictable in a healthy way, which makes it so romantic."

Misbah had announced months back that he would retire from ODIs after the World Cup.

Wahab bowled an unforgettable fiery spell against Australia, especially to Shane Watson, in Friday's quarterfinal at the Adelaide Oval here, a few standout performance of the World Cup. He gave his team more than a chance of winning the match despite defending a modest total of 213 but some dropped catches gifted the co-hosts the win.

"You can experiment with an out-of-box idea like this in one-day cricket. Australia is a great example. George Bailey was plucked out of first class cricket straight into international cricket as a leader when he was made Twenty20 captain," said the former right-handed batsman.

"I've seen the ingredients to give Wahab Riaz that pedestal and position. Let's see how he operates but what I saw of him against Australia, he can take Pakistan cricket in the right direction."

Wahab finished the World Cup with 16 scalps at an average of 23.00 and an economy rate of 5.56.

Pakistan's next international assignment is a tour of Bangladesh involving two Tests, three ODIs and a T20I from the middle of April.