Pakistani all-rounder Imad Wasim admitted he was surprised by Babar Azam’s reappointment as Pakistan’s T20I captain ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“I was surprised that Babar Azam was re-appointed as captain by the selectors, but obviously, it was their decision to select the team and the captain and I respect that, but yeah was surprised just like the whole country,” Imad told reporters, following his inclusion in Pakistan’s squad for the tournament.
Imad Wasim, along with pacer Mohammad Amir, made a comeback to the national side for the World Cup. However, his performance in the tournament was underwhelming, as he managed only three wickets and 19 runs throughout Pakistan’s campaign.
Babar Azam stepped down as Pakistan’s captain in November 2023 after the team’s disappointing exit from the ODI World Cup in India.
In his place, Shaheen Shah Afridi was appointed as T20 captain, leading the team in a five-match series against New Zealand. However, Shaheen’s leadership was short-lived.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi asked Shaheen to step down, reinstating Babar as captain just before the T20 World Cup.
Despite Babar’s return, Pakistan’s World Cup campaign faltered, with the team failing to make it out of the group stage in the USA.
Key losses to India and the United States marked an early exit for the men in green, raising concerns about the team’s future direction under Babar’s leadership.
Follow ProPakistani on Google News & scroll through your favourite content faster!
Support independent journalism
If you want to join us in our mission to share independent, global journalism to the world, we’d love to have you on our side. If you can, please support us on a monthly basis. It takes less than a minute to set up, and you can rest assured that you’re making a big impact every single month in support of open, independent journalism. Thank you.
