Wahab reacts to scuffle with Ahmed Shehzad

Zalmi’s fast bowler says physical scuffle with Gladiators’ batsman was a result of 'passion to win'

A day after Peshawar Zalmi’s Wahab Riaz and Quetta Gladiators’ Ahmad Shahzad were fined for a physical scuffle during a recent Pakistan Super League’s match, tensions seem to be fading off between the two cricketers.

“Passion to win and aggression at times makes you do funny things. For all young ones who watched please don't repeat nor get influenced pls,” said fast bowler Wahab Riaz in one of his Twitter messages.

Passion to win and aggression at times makes you do funny things. For all young ones who watched please don't repeat nor get influenced pls.

— Wahab Riaz (@WahabViki) February 15, 2016

Wahab and Shahzad had been fined 40 and 30 per cent of their match-fee respectively on Monday by Sri Lankan match-referee Roshan Mahanama after the two players clashed during Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators’ match played on Sunday at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in UAE. “Wahab Riaz and Ahmad Shahzad have been fined 40% and 30% of their match fees respectively by the match referee for the altercation,” an official statement from PSL read.

The flashing point came in fifth over of the match when Wahab bowled Shahzad out after being hit for a six. Following which both exchanged a few words before they came into physical contact. Other players had to intervene to ensure that no harm was done but Mahanama took notice of the incident and called both players for hearing at the end.

Skippers Shahid Afridi and Sarfaraz Ahmed had downplayed the incident stating that such things happen in the heat of the moment. “The fight shouldn’t have happened in first place because it doesn’t look good but it has happened so we can’t do anything about it now,” Afridi said.



Sarfaraz’s viewpoint was not any different from that of Afridi when he said: “It all happened in the heat of the moment and shouldn’t have happened; that’s all I can say about it as we need to move on and focus on challenges ahead.”