Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the squad for the upcoming white-ball leg of the series against Australia starting from March 29 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore as per the revised schedule.
The big headline is that Champions Trophy-winning captain, Sarfaraz Ahmad, and all-rounder, Imad Wasim, lost their places to uncapped players, Asif Afridi and Mohammad Haris.
Sarfaraz Ahmad’s exclusion was expected as Rizwan has been performing brilliantly while the board is looking for another option in the squad as Rizwan’s backup but Imad’s exclusion was somewhat surprising for fans.
In the recently concluded PSL, Imad represented Karachi Kings. While Karachi fared poorly, his individual performance was also not up to the mark throughout the season.
In the seventh edition of PSL, Imad batted in 8 innings and scored 141 runs at an average of 20.14 while in bowling, he took 6 wickets at an average of 39.83. Here are the detailed numbers of Imad Wasim in PSL 7:
| Batting | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | Highest Score |
| 8 | 141 | 20.14 | 142.42 | 55 | |
| Bowling | Innings | Wickets | Average | Economy | Best Bowling |
| 9 | 6 | 39.83 | 6.82 | 2/30 |
In the international arena since his debut in 2015, he has played 55 ODI matches and scored 986 runs at an average of 42.86 which seems pretty good, especially in the lower order. He has 44 wickets at an average of 44.47.
| Batting | Innings | Runs | Average | 50s | 100s |
| 40 | 986 | 42.86 | 5 | 0 | |
| Bowling | Matches | Wickets | Average | 5w | Best Bowling |
| 53 | 44 | 44.47 | 1 | 5/14 |
In T20 internationals, the all-rounder has played 58 matches for the Green Shirts and scored 339 runs at an average of 13.03, and also took 55 wickets while maintaining a bowling average of 23.49.
| Batting | Innings | Runs | Average | 50s | 100s |
| 37 | 339 | 13.03 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bowling | Innings | Wickets | Average | 5w | Best Bowling |
| 57 | 55 | 23.49 | 1 | 5/14 |
In 2021, his performance in the shortest format of cricket was not impressive, however, he remained a regular part of the playing XI. The left-handed all-rounder played nine matches while scoring 37 runs during his 4 innings at an average of 9.25.
In a bowling department, Imad took 8 wickets at an average of 27.75 which is not too impressive as an all-rounder.
| T20I | Batting | Innings | Runs | Average | 50s | 100s |
| 4 | 37 | 9.25 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Bowling | Matches | Wickets | Average | 3w | Best Bowling | |
| 9 | 8 | 27.75 | 0 | 2/25 |
It is pertinent to mention that Imad has not played ODI cricket in the year 2021 while in 2020 he played just 2 matches.
Do you think these numbers warrant a place for Imad Wasim in the national team? Let us know in the comments section.
