Pakistan allrounder Imad Wasim will be available for T20I selection once again after he withdrew his retirement from the format on Saturday. Imad Wasim last played for Pakistan over a year ago but speculation over his return had been mounting after the allrounder enjoyed a successful 2024 PSL season, culminating in a five-wicket haul in the final as his side Islamabad United won the title.
Imad Wasim told ESPNCricinfo the PCB had asked him to reconsider his retirement earlier this week and said he did not have any conditions to play for Pakistan.
Imad Wasim’s all-round ability makes him the utility player in Pakistan’s T20I squad
Imad Wasim’s all-round ability and his record in the Caribbean Premier League makes him an attractive option for Pakistan in a year where the bulk of the T20 World Cup will be held in the West Indies. His CPL record over the years is stellar – 61 wickets at an average of 18.88 and economy rate of 6.20.
Also Imad Wasim has played 66 T20Is for Pakistan so far, scoring 486 runs at a strike rate of 131.70 and taking 65 wickets with an economy of 6.26.
Wasim made his international debut in May 2015 against Zimbabwe and went on to represent Pakistan in 55 ODIs and 66 T20Is. He took 109 wickets and scored 1,472 runs in his international career. Imad Wasim was part of Islamabad United who reached the HBL Pakistan Super League final to take the trophy on Monday night. He gave three match-winning performances on the trot for United both with the bat and the ball — he took a five-wicket haul in the final.
Having made his international debut back in 2015, Imad Wasim often found himself in and out of the side after a promising start to his career that was preceded by a victorious U19 World Cup campaign. As Imad started to get sidelined for the national side, Imad Wasim found solace in global T20 leagues across the globe.
The recently concluded edition of the Pakistan Super League saw the 35-year-old in full flight, particularly in the playoffs where Imad Wasim was awarded Player-of-the-Match in all the three games for the eventual champions Islamabad United, making him the first player in the tournament’s history to achieve this feat.
Imad Wasim also became the first player to pick a fifer in a PSL final. Apart from being a vital cog of Islamabad’s bowling attack, Imad Wasim also proved his clutch game with the bat, producing crucial cameos in the tournament, notably in a must-win game to ensure playoffs qualification and then in the playoffs.
I declare my availability for Pakistan cricket in T20I format- Imad Wasim
All-rounder Imad Wasim has reversed his international retirement and made himself available for the upcoming T20 World Cup in June this year. Imad Wasim who announced his international retirement in November 2023, has endured a positive spike in form in the shortest format.
“I am happy to announce that pursuant to meeting PCB officials, I have reconsidered my retirement and am delighted to declare my availability for Pakistan cricket in the T20I format leading up to ICC T20 World Cup 2024,” read Imad’s post on X where he pledged to give everything for Pakistan cricket if given a chance.
“I would like to thank the PCB for reposing trust in me and I would give my very best to bring laurels to my country. Pakistan comes first!”
There is no word yet from the PCB on whether Imad’s availability results in a change in his contractual status. While he is currently not believed to be interested in a central contract, signing one would tie him to the same NOC policy as other players, under which no player can participate in more than two T20 overseas leagues a year. As things stand, though, Imad’s availability until a T20 World Cup where he looks like a selection certainty is an arrangement of convenience for all parties concerned.
Since 2020, Imad Wasim hasn’t featured in an ODI while April 2023 was when he played his last T20I. With Pakistan continuing to struggle with the balance of their T20 side and Imad churning out performances in franchise leagues, the all-rounder’s return seemed imminent, more so when one factors in the slow nature of pitches in West Indies and USA – the venues for this year’s T20 World Cup.
Thriller as India vs Pakistan in New York
The ninth edition of the T20 World Cup runs from June 1-29. The expanded 20-team tournament is being jointly held by the United States and the West Indies and will get under way on June 1 at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas, Texas, when the US take on Canada, both teams making their first appearances at a T20 World Cup.
A new venue 30 miles east of downtown Manhattan will host the big clash between India and Pakistan on Sunday, June 9 — one of eight games to be held at the 34,000-seat modular stadium being built in Nassau County. A total of 16 games will be held in the United States — the first time that a major international cricket tournament is held in the country. Lauderhill in South Florida, the most established cricket venue in the US, will host games featuring India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan’s build-up to the T20 World Cup commences with yet another series against New Zealand, this time at home, as they face the Kiwis for five T20I matches in Rawalpindi and Lahore from April 18.