Following the announcement of the 16-man squad for the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies, the Pakistan Cricket Board came under fire for leaving out several players, including Imad Wasim.
Chief Selector, Mohammad Wasim, revealed the reason behind this, claiming that Imad’s recent performance had not been up to the mark.
Speaking in an interview, Wasim explained, “Imad’s performance in the recent past wasn’t up to the mark. He also has fitness issues which is why he is suffering.”
The 33-year-old all-rounder was last seen in the 2021 T20 World Cup squad and the Bangladesh tour, and he has been out of action ever since.
In response to a question about the cricket board’s priority for fitness, he said, “Currently, we have high fitness standards in the team. And, it is visible in team’s performance.”
Pakistan national team has been showing its class under Babar Azam’s captaincy as they defeated India for the first time in any World Cup and won the ODI series against Australia after 20 years.
Wasim commented on the inclusion of left-arm spinner, Mohammad Nawaz, in the squad, saying that he was added to the national setup based on performance, and that “his fitness and performance are going well currently.”
Imad Wasim has played 52 One-Day Internationals and scored 986 runs at an average of 42.86. In addition, he has 44 wickets in the format, including one 5-fer.
