- Imad Wasim, once the world’s second-ranked all-rounder in ODIs, sheds light on his absence from the ongoing domestic season in Pakistan.
- Expressing frustration, Imad questions his exclusion from the national squad despite his impressive rankings and past performances.
- Former captain Wasim Akram raises concerns about players discussing national aspirations on TV while neglecting participation in domestic cricket.
During an appearance on the Geo News show Haarna Mana Hai, Pakistani all-rounder Imad Wasim opened up about his absence from the ongoing domestic season in the country. Despite boasting the title of the world’s second-ranked all-rounder in ODIs, Imad expressed his frustration at being inexplicably dropped from the national squad.
Imad, who has played 55 ODIs for Pakistan, questioned the rationale behind his exclusion, stating,
“When I was playing for Pakistan, I was the world no. 2 all-rounder in rankings, everyone should know this, and then I was dropped [from the squad] without any reason. Tell me what is the guarantee that if I start playing domestic cricket they will consider me for the national squad?”
This uncertainty, he emphasized, led him to opt out of participating in the ongoing domestic season.
Highlighting the disconnect between domestic performance and national selection, Imad disclosed that despite playing domestic cricket two years ago and delivering commendable performances as requested, he still wasn’t considered for the national squad. This lack of assurance further discouraged him from actively participating in the current domestic season.
“I also want to add that I played domestic two years ago, you can search for my performances there when I was asked to play domestic cricket, yet I was not considered so there’s no guarantee here,” he added.
Imad’s comments were in response to former Pakistani captain Wasim Akram, who had remarked on players discussing their concerns on television instead of actively engaging in domestic cricket. Akram raised questions about the feasibility of players expressing their desire to represent Pakistan while not actively participating in the domestic circuit.
“The players who are busy with the Pakistan team are fine but what about others? A couple of them are sitting on television and they want to play for Pakistan. How is that possible?” Akram said while speaking on a local sports show.
Imad Wasim last played an ODI for Pakistan in November 2020 against Zimbabwe and has been absent from the national team since then. Although part of the 2021 T20 World Cup, he was dropped post the tournament and only returned to T20I cricket on April 23, 2023, in a match against New Zealand. The cricketer’s absence from recent national selections raises pertinent questions about the criteria and considerations influencing team selection in Pakistani cricket.
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