Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim recently announced his retirement from international cricket, stunning fans around the world. Looking at the development, former cricketer Rashid Latif took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his shock and asked Imad to reverse his decision and play for Pakistan once again.
Notably, Imad was axed from Pakistan’s ODI World Cup squad as Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz were picked ahead of him. He was in good form in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) but despite having a thin spin attack, the Pakistan team management decided not to pick him for the mega tournament in India, which has hurt the cricketer according to multiple reports.
Meanwhile, Latif called Wasim Pakistan’s best spinner, who can contribute with the bat as well. He also stated that the newly appointed director of cricket Mohammad Hafeez wants Imad to be a part of the scheme of things but if he sticks to his plans, it will be a big blow to the Pakistan team.
“Imad Wasim should withdraw his retirement decision, Pakistan team’s best spin bowler is Imad and can help a lot in batting. In the World Cup, if the most effective player of the team will not be there, it is not a loss for Imad, it is a loss for Pakistan. Mohammad Hafeez wants them to bring Imad back. If you want to play leagues, then separate from the central contract, but keep yourself available for the Pakistan team,” Latif posted on ‘X’.
عماد وسیم کو ریٹائرمنٹ کا فیصلہ واپس لینا چائیے ، پاکستان ٹیم کا سب سے اچھا اسپن باولر عماد ہی ہے اور بیٹنگ میں بہت مدد مل سکتی ہے ۔ ورلڈ کپ میں اگر ٹیم کا سب سے کارآمد کھلاڑی نہیں ہو گا تو اس میں عماد کا نقصان نہیں اس میں پاکستان کا نقصان ہے ۔ محمد حفیظ کو چاہیے کے وہ عماد کو… pic.twitter.com/hmrIUPdAB0
— Rashid Latif 🇵🇰 (@iRashidLatif68) November 25, 2023
Imad Wasim has represented Pakistan in 121 international matches and has picked up 109 wickets in the process. He also has 1472 runs to his name in white-ball format. The cricketer thanked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for their support throughout the years and wished everyone well as the team is going through a transitional phase. Babar Azam has stepped down as the captain of the team while Shaheen Shah Afridi has been appointed as the T20I skipper and Shan Masood has been given the baton for red-ball cricket.