Imad Wasim expresses surprise over Babar Azam's captaincy reinstatement
What's the story
Imad Wasim, the veteran Pakistan all-rounder, has expressed his astonishment at the decision to reinstate Babar Azam as the captain of the white-ball teams. This unexpected move by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) came just six months after Azam had stepped down from his leadership role following Pakistan's disappointing performance in the ODI World Cup 2023. The T20I captaincy was initially handed over to Shaheen Shah Afridi post-Azam's resignation.
Leadership change
PCB's U-turn after New Zealand series
The PCB made a surprising U-turn after the New Zealand series, deciding to return the captaincy to Azam. This decision didn't turn out to be fruitful as Pakistan had an underwhelming run in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, where they were eliminated in the group stages. Wasim, who was part of this squad, shared his views during an interview with Saj Sadiq.
Statement
Here is what Wasim said
"Yes, I was surprised," Wasim replied on being asked about Babar's return as Pakistan captain after a break of only six months. "What can I say, it's ultimately the selector's call. Whatever they thought was the best option, they picked and they picked the team [accordingly]." "Everybody in Pakistan was surprised, not just me. So, I can't say no that I was not surprised," he added.
Tournament disappointment
Wasim reflects on Pakistan's T20 World Cup performance
Wasim candidly admitted that Pakistan's performance in the T20 World Cup was below par. The team suffered an unexpected defeat to the USA and lost to long-standing rivals India. "Yeah, our performance wasn't up to the mark to be honest and we have to accept that, including myself," he said. He further expressed his deep disappointment with their performance during the tournament.