Pak vs NZ: “There Might Be An Issue In The Future”- Rashid Latif On Imad Wasim Reportedly Not Getting Picked In Pakistan ODI Squad Due To Babar Azam
Apr 5, 2023 at 7:54 PM
There can be a potential tiff between Imad Wasim and Babar Azam, said Rashid Latif after the left-handed all-rounder missed out on a spot in the Pakistan ODI squad for the upcoming New Zealand series allegedly due to captain Babar Azam.
Wasim, who returned to the Pakistan side in the recent T20I series against Afghanistan, couldn’t secure a position in the ODI squad for the upcoming home series against New Zealand, despite making his place into the 15-member squad for the T20 series, starting on April 14th,2022, in Rawalpindi.
Apparently, reports suggested that captain Babar Azam didn’t vote in Imad Wasim’s favor in the ODI squad, which led to the left-hander being ignored by the national selection committee.
Senior pros like Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Rizwan all returned to the squad after being rested for the Afghanistan series.
Three young guns – Ihsanullah, Saim Ayub, and Zaman Khan – have been retained in the T20I squad, while Ihsanullah has also been added to the ODI squad for the first time in his career.
There Is No Doubt That Injustice Happened With Imad Wasim: Rashid Latif
Taking onto the matter, former Pakistani cricketer, Rashid Latif, signified that both Imad and Babar are smart not to fight over small issues.
“There won’t be an issue right now, but there might be an issue in the future depending on performance. No problem should arise, as both are sensible guys. They are big performers for their franchises and for Pakistan,” Latif said.
“There is no doubt that injustice happened with Imad Wasim. He has come back into the team after performing and not through the back door. Differences exist between top players in top teams, but they do not reflect on the ground or in their performances,” he added.
Once Babar Azam was named the team captain of the Karachi Kings, things between the two cricketers didn’t go well. Imad was dissatisfied with the team management and the captain for their level of mistrust in him in the given position.
Pakistan Squads:
T20I: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Zaman Khan
ODI: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Ihsanullah, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Usama Mir.
Reserves: Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed and Tayyab Tahir
PAK v NZ Series schedule:
14 Apr – 1st T20I, Lahore
15 Apr – 2nd T20I, Lahore
17 Apr – 3rd T20I, Lahore
20 Apr – 4th T20I, Rawalpindi
24 Apr – 5th T20I, Rawalpindi
27 Apr – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi
29 Apr – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi
3 May – 3rd ODI, Karachi
5 May – 4th ODI, Karachi
7 May – 5th ODI, Karachi
