At some points in his career, Mitchell Johnson has been compared to Wasim Akram. At other points his bowling has been described as erratic; erratic here being a euphemism for crap. He was the Player of the Series the last time South Africa lost at home but he also has a ditty sung in his honour by the Barmy Army – one which is not overly complimentary. And his performances against England haven’t done all that much to dispel such thoughts. For Aussies, Johnson is an inconsistent, frustrating beast.

But even Johnson has got nothing on Wahab Riaz.

Wahab’s career progress has been bizarre. He made his debut in 2008 when he looked far from being ready for the international arena. His return was controversial, but over the ten months following his Test debut in England in 2010, he was being looked upon as a definite wicket-taking option for Pakistan. After the spot fixing saga, with little pace battery to call upon, he showed promise of a better future alongside Umar Gul. Even at his best, though, he was far from world-class. Only twice in his 22 ODIs against major opposition has he gone at under 4.5 runs-an-over in his quota of overs (the 4th ODI in South Africa where he bowled only 4 overs being one of them). But he could always get you wickets – as his strike rate and average show. But his selection problems in the second half of 2011 have meant that his career has now gone well off-track.

The series against South Africa, particularly the third ODI, was indicative of Wahab’s current malaise. Over the course of his first four overs in that game, he only conceded one boundary; he conceded two in the fifth over, one of them an inside edge from Hashim Amla which barely missed the stumps. He had Mohammad Hafeez drop Amla in the same over. It was eventful but by the end of that spell he had gone for 34 in five overs; and allowed the pressure, built up by Mohammad  Irfan and Junaid Khan, to be released (although that release had much to do with him bowling to numbers 1 and 2 in the ICC ODI Batsmen Rankings).

Right now when it goes right for him, it still isn’t enough, as that spell showed. And when it goes wrong? He would finish with the worst figures in Pakistan's ODI history, his second spell giving away a whopping 59 runs. Of course, Wahab being Wahab, he would also pick up two inconsequential and expensive wickets in the death overs.

His problem, as those first four overs in Johannesburg showed, is that even when he is getting it right, there are far too few dot balls. He might bowl wicket-taking deliveries, but he doesn’t deal in sustained pressure: he is the fast bowling version of Danish Kaneria, basically. In the fifth and final ODI he was probably Pakistan’s best bowler, and was the only one who seemed to trouble AB de Villiers, yet he would still finish wicketless and with an economy-rate above six in his seven overs.

Charles Barkley often says about big, athletic men (like Blake Griffin, or previously Dwight Howard) that once they learn to play basketball they are going to be a real handful. The same could be said about Wahab; once he learns to bowl he could be something special. But he is in his late-20s, if he hasn’t learnt to bowl yet, when will he?

Wahab’s biggest problems appear to be his wrist and his confidence. Both of which, one could argue, can be down to the coaching staff. His stats are indicative of when he is at his best. Under Waqar Younis, he averages 24.7 at an economy rate of 5.4; under other coaches, the corresponding numbers are 34.9 and 6.0. Maybe, as Jarrod Kimber and Osman Samiuddin argued about Gul (whose own performances under and without Waqar appear to be rather different), Wahab might just be a dumb bowler.

He isn’t universally backed in the team either; talking to a couple of the Pakistani players on the SA tour, they remarked how much of a travesty it was that Wahab was being selected over the likes of Aizaz Cheema. So, while some fans might have issues with how Waqar dealt with the older players, and his apparently defensive strategies, you have to agree that the performances of his students show that he was a remarkably technical coach. As any interaction with a current Pakistani bowler would tell you, even if the fans might never realize his importance, the reverence in which Waqar is held by the players – as a player and a coach – means that he isn’t completely unappreciated.

But I digress; so where to now for Pakistan and Wahab then? Two years ago, when he announced himself to the world at Mohali, he seemed a worthy bet.

With Shoaib Akhtar finished and the spot-fixing duo banned, Pakistan’s pace attack looked barren – and even someone with Wahab’s problems (both with his technique and his affiliations)  was worth investing in. You could call it the ‘Mitchell Johnson Treatment’. But today, with Junaid and Irfan fully established as international class; and with Ehsan Adil’s remarkable rise (second highest wicket taker in the premier four-day competition, highest wicket taker in the Super 8 – all in his debut season), there is little logic to invest in someone like Wahab. He may pass the eye test – he is quick, athletic and always seems to be a workhorse – but that seems to be the only test he is succeeding in right now.