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March 19, 2024
The Islamabad captain feels that a player who has the potential to be a game-changer deserves better treatment.
Credit to Pakistan Super League Image Gallery
Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan expressed dissatisfaction with how the crowd has been treating his teammate Imad Wasim during the ninth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Imad, 35, has been subjected to disconcerting chants of “Babar Babar” throughout PSL 9. Shadab lamented that such behavior towards someone with Imad’s extensive service to Pakistan is disheartening.
Imad, 35, has faced unsettling chants of “Babar Babar” towards him in the PSL 9 and Shadab believed that such treatment for someone who has represented Pakistan for so long is sad.
During the second eliminator between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi at Karachi’s National Stadium, the chants were once again heard whenever Imad fielded near the boundary or came in to bat during the second innings.
After the match, Shadab Khan voiced his support for Imad Wasim and expressed his disappointment over his teammate’s treatment. He stressed that Imad’s significant contributions to Pakistan should be noticed.
“I haven’t had such a conversation with Maddy bhai, but if such a thing were to happen to me, obviously it would be saddening because playing for Pakistan for such a long time, performing for Pakistan, and then our crowd doing such things,” Shadab said.
“Obviously as a player, you feel like, ‘I’ve played for this country, I’ve won matches for this country, and the people of our country treat us like this,’ so it does feel a bit.”
Shadab then revealed that he talked to Imad when the 35-year-old announced his retirement from international cricket in November 2023. He hoped the left-handed all-rounder would reconsider his decision as the 2024 T20 World Cup is approaching.
“I want to, in fact, when Imad made the decision, I had also told him that I didn’t want him to leave. Because Pakistan needs players like him. God willing, if there is a discussion with him, hopefully, he will come back because the World Cup is approaching and the way he is performing and his experience in CPL, Pakistan definitely needs him,” Shadab said.
Imad Hasim has delivered exceptional performances throughout PSL 9. He played a crucial role for Islamabad United in their pivotal group match against Multan Sultans. In the first eliminator, he showcased his skill with a superb bowling spell on 3/12 against Quetta Gladiators. He followed that with an unbeaten 59 off 40 balls in the second eliminator against Peshawar Zalmi.
Islamabad United has advanced to the final, facing the Multan Sultans.
Credit to Pakistan Super League Image Gallery
Former Pakistani captain Wasim Akram lauded Islamabad United’s all-rounder Imad Wasim for his match-winning innings against Peshawar Zalmi in the second eliminator of PSL season nine at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Saturday.
Zalmi’s Saim Ayub took two early wickets, putting United on the back foot as they stumbled to 21/3 in just 3.3 overs while chasing 186 runs.
Martin Guptill’s dismissal by Khurram Shahzad further deepened United’s troubles, leaving them at 50/4 after six overs and facing potential defeat. However, Imad Wasim’s crucial innings steadied the ship and guided the two-time PSL champions into the final once again.
Speaking on a local media channel, Wasim Akram commended Imad Wasim’s composure and demeanor. Despite the challenge of chasing a large target and having lost five wickets, Imad remained unflustered and maintained complete control throughout the innings.
“When Imad Wasim came out to bat in such a situation, it can be a bit confusing, but he was totally calm. Look at his body language, it was a dangerous sign for Peshawar when he started,” Akram said.
“When a player is calm, it means that he is just waiting for his time and that’s what happened. He scored 59 off 40 balls, the strike rate was 147, but his innings was much better than what the stats show. The situation in which he came, the way he built a partnership with Haider Ali,” he added.
After losing early wickets, United needed a stabilizing presence, and Imad Wasim delivered just that. He first formed a crucial partnership with Azam Khan and later with Haider Ali.
Azam contributed 22 runs from 17 balls, including a boundary and a six, before Luke Wood dismissed him, ending their 41-run stand.
Haider Ali entered the fray with intent, aggressively targeting Zalmi’s bowlers. Together with Imad Wasim, he took strategic risks to maintain the required run rate, forging a crucial 98-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
Imad notched his first fifty of the season, remaining unbeaten on 59 from 40 balls. Meanwhile, Haider delivered a powerful performance, scoring 52 off 29 balls with five towering sixes and two fours.
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Top Cricket News, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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