Shane Watson Reveals What His Reaction Would Have Been If Wahab Riaz Had Kissed Him Like Krunal Pandya Did To Kieron Pollard
Published - 28 Apr 2022, 07:26 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:08 AM
Shane Watson, former Australia cricketer and currently an assistant coach with the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the ongoing IPL 2022, shared his opinion on what he would have done if Wahab Riaz had kissed him during the 2015 World Cup knockouts like Krunal Pandya did to Kieron Pollard during the IPL 2022 game between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Mumbai Indians (MI).
It is a well-known fact that Watson faced what has been dubbed as one of the most brutal spells of fast bowling from Wahab Riaz when Australia faced Pakistan in the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup. Watson was seen weaving, jumping, and ducking out of pacy short balls and kept a bunch of yorkers away as well, as Wahab taunted him.
On the YouTube channel The Grade Cricketer, Shane Watson was asked what his reaction and he said: “There is definitely no way that Wahab Riaz is going to kiss me on my head after that. It was a quarterfinal and that was a big battle. Even at that time, he had emotions that still haven’t changed. If someone did that to me after they got me out, oh jeez, even if it was a good mate, I will be doing well to not lose it. It is rubbing salt into the wound.”
“I Absolutely Deserve All That Came My Way That Game” – Shane Watson
Shane Watson said that he deserved everything that Wahab Riaz threw at him in that high octane match as he had sledged Riaz earlier in the match when he was batting. Hence Watson said that everything that happened to him when he batted was self-inflicted and he deserved all the battering he received.
He said: “With Wahab Riaz, that was self-inflicted because I did sledge him before when he was batting. That was self-inflicted and so, I did absolutely deserve all that came my way that game.”
Pakistan had batted first in that quarter-final match in Adelaide and made 213. They were unable to defend the total as Steve Smith with 65 and Watson with 64* and Maxwell with 44* took Australia into the semis with 6 wickets in hand.
