Pakistan's spin-bowling all-rounder Imad Wasim has issued a response to the critique offered by legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram. Imad defended himself against Akram's criticism, highlighting that he had been dropped from the national side despite holding the second-ranked position among all-rounders globally.
In an interview with A Sports, Wasim Akram expressed his disapproval of certain players not participating in domestic tournaments during the 2023 ODI World Cup. He specifically pointed to Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir, who were serving as guest experts on Geo News.
"Couple of the players are available to play domestic cricket but they are sitting on TV and then, they want to play for Pakistan. How is that possible?," Akram had told A Sports.
In his conversation with Geo News, Imad fired back at Akram's critique by pointing out that despite being the world's second-ranked all-rounder, he had been omitted from the Pakistan squad.
"When I was playing for the Pakistan team, I was the World No. 2 all-rounder in rankings, and without any reason, I was dropped. Please tell me what is the guarantee now that if I will play domestic cricket, they will consider me?," said Imad.
Siraj said he would seek Akram's advice if needed, but acknowledged that playing domestic cricket does not guarantee selection to the national team.
"Secondly, whoever has pointed this out, I will call him myself if I ever need advice. Two years ago, when I was asked to play domestic cricket, you can see my performance. But even then, I wasn't considered. So there's no guarantee here," Imad added.
Imad's comments come in the midst of Pakistan's campaign in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023. The team is gearing up to face England in their final group-stage match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 11. They are still vying for a spot as the fourth team to qualify for the semi-finals, adding an extra layer of significance to their upcoming clash.
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