Imad Wasim, the all-rounder for Pakistan who decided to come out of retirement to participate in the T20 World Cup in 2024, remembers being “surprised” when Babar Azam was named captain again in the white-ball formats. When Pakistan was eliminated in the league stage of the ODI World Cup 2023, Babar had a terrible time leading the team.Â
Imad’s stance on Babar selection as skipper
Following their elimination from the ODI World Cup 2023, Babar gave up his captaincy across all formats. While Shaheen Afridi was named T20I captain, Shan Masood was named Test captain. But when Mohsin Naqvi was appointed Chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), he named Babar skipper once more. Wasim participated in the T20 World Cup 2024 as a player captained by Babar.
He was taken aback when Afridi lost the captaincy during the Twenty20 International series played in New Zealand and Babar regained it. Wasim said to Pakistani journalist Saj Sadiq, “Yeah, I was surprised.” “What can I say, the selector has the final word in this matter? They selected the team [in accordance with] whatever they believed to be the greatest alternative.
Not only myself, but everyone in Pakistan was taken aback. I thus cannot deny that I was not startled,” he continued. Wasim received backlash for his actions during the 2024 T20 World Cup in the United States. He’s now competing in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2024 with the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons players. The Falcons, captained by Chris Green, are playing in the CPL for the first time. Thus far this season, Wasim has amassed 134 runs and claimed seven wickets.
Babar’s half century amid criticism
Recently, skipper Babar Azam has been subjected to a great deal of criticism. Babar scored just 64 runs from just four innings in the opening series following a miserable T20 World Cup 2024 performance against Bangladesh.
He hit a half-century for the Mohammad Haris-led Lions against Shaheen Afridi’s Lions in Pakistan’s domestic One-Day event, the Champions Cup. After making 76 off 79 balls, he was declared “Player of the Match.” In the 35th over of the innings, he was removed by left-arm bowler Afridi, who delivered a slower delivery that caused him to miss his century.
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