Imad Wasim to make international comeback for T20 World Cup? PCB initiates talks with all-rounder

Imad Wasim, who announced his international retirement in November 2023 last year, is likely to come out of international retirement after his stellar PSL 2024 season. 

He picked 3/12 with the ball against Quetta Gladiators in the Eliminator. He was named the Man of the Match in the Eliminator and the final as he took a fifer (5/23) against Multan Sultans. 

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), as per reports in Cricket Pakistan, reached out to the all-rounder and invited him to PCB headquarters to discuss his international future to which Imad has reportedly agreed. Imad’s exceptional performance in PSL 9, where he scored 126 runs and took 12 wickets, was instrumental in Islamabad United clinching their third PSL title.

According to sources, Imad has accepted the invitation and is expected to meet the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and national chief selector Wahab Riaz. However, the all-rounder has a few concerns which he wants the PCB to address first before he decides to come out of international retirement. 

“I made a name for myself while playing for Pakistan and if my country needs me, I will be available. If not, I have no issues with that,” Imad said.

“Shaheen called me after I retired but I told him that we will talk after PSL,” he further added. 

Imad Wasim Played 55 ODIs, 66 T20Is Before Announcing Retirement For Pakistan

Before retiring, Imad Wasim played 55 ODIs and 66 T20Is for Pakistan. He played his last T20I match against New Zealand in Rawalpindi in April 2023. Pakistan played a T20I series even after the ODI World Cup last year which they lost as well. 

With the T20 World Cup coming up and Imad’s recent performances, his retirement reversal is the most discussed topic in Pakistan cricket at the moment. However, Pakistan cricket across formats have been very poor in recent times. They lost the Test series against Australia and the white-ball series against New Zealand as well. 

Imad’s international retirement was also due to his differences with Babar Azam. Babar stepped down as the Pakistan captain with the PCB administration changing and also the members of the PCB.

Meanwhile, the PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi before agreeing to meet Imad Wasim said that he does not want to have a say in the selection of the captain and players overall but wants the selection panel to have more authority in the process.

“I don’t want to get involved in appointing the captain, team, and all that. I will be revamping the national selection committee and will give it more authority and independence to take cricket-related decisions,” Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday (March 18) during a press conference.

“The revamped selection committee will, after discussions with the team’s head coach, recommend the captain and team. I want the selection committee, coach and captain to be independent to make decisions which they feel are best for the Pakistan team. My job is to govern and administrate the board affairs properly to facilitate the players,” he added.

Meanwhile, the PCB is also desperate to have a foreign international player as the coach of the Pakistan national team. They have approached Daren Sammy and Shane Watson.

Also Read: CSK vs RCB: Revealed – Who are the impact players nominated by CSK and RCB in match 1 of IPL 2024