Can Wahab Riaz pull off another fiery spell like the one against Watson in Adelaide, should a batsman taunt him during the 2019 World Cup? © Getty

Picking a fight with a fast-bowlers demands great courage. After all, they are raging individuals who feed their egos by dictating terms to the batsmen.

More than four years ago, Shane Watson called trouble upon himself by taunting Wahab Riaz when the latter came out to bat during the third quarter-final of the 2015 World Cup at Adelaide. What happened next was something that left everyone in awe - except for Watson.

When the Aussie walked out to bat in the 11th over with Australia three down for 59 in their chase of Pakistan's 214, Riaz hurled short-pitched stuff at him from the very first ball. He had a short-leg in position as Watson tried everything he could to get out of the line of the ball by swaying away and ducking under. That Riaz had removed Michael Clarke, the previous wicket, with an impeccable short delivery must have spurred Riaz on further.

As Watson's struggles to negate the thunderbolts, which clocked into 150kph, became apparent, Riaz taunted him in his follow through by sarcastically applauding the way he was batting. For almost four overs, the two engaged in a battle from which Watson might have come out unscathed (with Rahat Ali spilling a catch at deep fine-leg), but it provided the footage for one of the fieriest spells to have been bowled in the history of World Cup.

After getting called up for the 2019 edition, Riaz promised an encore of that spell if necessary. "The aggression and attitude will matter a lot," he said. "Since the pitches are placid and conditions are batting conducive, it becomes necessary to have an aggressive approach, else the batsmen will dominate you. If a batsman demeans me, I will do what I did that day."

Earlier this year, Watson said that he wouldn't have taunted Wahab had he been aware of his pace at that time. "Thankfully he just bowled one bouncer today which was over my shoulder," he said after the pair's most recent face-off - which was brief and concluded with Wahab bowling over Watson after he scored a match-winning 71 off 43 - during the qualifier of the 2019 Pakistan Super League.

"In Adelaide, he must have bowled me 5 [bouncers] in an over. I have fond memories of the match; not because of facing an over like that from Wahab, but because of the result at the end. I now know that he bowls very fast and I didn't at that time until I faced him. If I had my time again, I wouldn't have sledged him when he was batting."

If picked, Riaz will make an ODI comeback after a gap of almost two years. Since Pakistan's Champions Trophy opener against India in 2017 - his last ODI appearance - Riaz has largely remained out of the international scene as Pakistan had moved on from him, something Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur and the head of the national selection committee Inzamam ul Haq had said over the last year.

Considering Riaz hasn't played a lot of international cricket offlate, it remains to be seen if he can really rekindle the intensity that spell against Watson, should some batsman poke him at the 2019 World Cup.