Imad Wasim Surprised by Babar Azam’s Return as Captain
Imad Wasim admitted his surprise at Babar Azam’s reappointment as captain of Pakistan’s white-ball teams ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Babar had stepped down from the role following Pakistan’s underwhelming performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup, leading to Shaheen Afridi being named captain. However, after just six months, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reversed this decision and reinstated Babar as captain after the New Zealand series.
Despite Babar’s return, Pakistan’s performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup was disappointing, with the team exiting in the group stages. Imad, who was part of the squad, expressed his surprise in an interview, saying, “Yes, I was surprised. What can I say? It’s ultimately the selectors’ decision. Whatever they thought was the best option, they picked and made their choice.”
He added, “Everybody in Pakistan was surprised, not just me. So, I can’t say I wasn’t surprised.”
The T20 World Cup saw Pakistan suffer an unexpected defeat to the USA and lose to rivals India. Imad reflected on the team’s performance, acknowledging that it fell short of expectations. “Our performance wasn’t up to the mark, and we have to accept that, including myself. It was disappointing, and it took me a long time to get over it,” he said.
Pakistan’s next white-ball series is scheduled against Australia in November.
