[VIDEO] "If you don't win the World Cup or reach semis/final, it's not satisfactory" : Imad Wasim

[Abdullah719]

"If there were groupings in the team, I wouldn't play. We all play for Pakistan, there was a lot of talk after the match vs India but the media should be more careful. I know Sarfaraz since 15 years, he isn't like that and none of the other players are either, we all play for Pakistan. There were no differences, sometimes during the match there is a little back and forth but if the captain says something, you should take it as a player as he is playing for Pakistan"

"If we won the trophy then I would be happy with my performances. If I make 10 runs and get no wickets but Pakistan wins, I am happy. No team wants to return home without qualifying for the semis, everyone is disappointed and no one is happy"

"People call us unpredictable but this isn't unpredictability, we did the same in CT, we gained momentum and we were unstoppable. The same thing happened here but unfortunately the NRR cost us"

"When we lose to India, we as a nation respond as if we have been fighting a war, it's a game and winning and losing happens. Criticism on cricket is fine but on personal issues, it's not fine. It doesn't happen anywhere else besides in our country"

"Sarfaraz arranged a meeting after the India match which was the turning point, we all backed each other and supported each other. In the media, there was talk of grouping etc. but nothing like this had happened. The purpose of the meeting was to get together and refresh ourselves"

"In my view, the role of the coaching staff is very small in international cricket. The players have to do everything on the ground. Everyone talks about the coaches and management but they just give us the plans, we are the ones who need to carry the plans out. I'm not nullifying the role of the coaches"

"Rashid Khan is one of the best spinners in the world, we did indepth analysis about him but it's very tough to face such a class bowler"

"I don't believe in luck, we should make our own destiny. Results and controllable things are in our hands"

"We met Imran Khan before going for the World Cup. His thought and approach to cricket is not that of a normal person, he is an extraordinary human being. He thinks at a very large level"

"I think the way England have picked up momentum, they should be the favourites for the 2019 World Cup alongside India"

"There is no small team in cricket now, even Afghanistan is a strong team. The NRR was an issue but we lost the first match so badly, you can't make up a 400-run difference. Our first priority was to win our matches which we did. If there was a 200-250 run difference, we might have been able to make it up but if we tried to make up a 400-run difference, we may have lost the matches"

"We are all Muslims and I don't think we should fight, spectators shouldn't fight. I say this to all spectators whether it's India Pakistan or Afghanistan Pakistan, there is no need to fight. One team will win and the other will lose, that's what happens"

"The wicket for the NZ match was turning a lot, Santner was bowling well. I feel we could have taken the initiative there a little bit but the batsmen who were there in the ground can tell you about the chase. If we lost 2 quick wickets there, it would have been very difficult for the other batsmen. NZ is a strong team"

"Everyone is disappointed. My opinion is that if you don't win the World Cup or reach semis/final, it's not satisfactory"

[Khan12]

I don't like Imad, but at least he hasn't got a loser attitude like our shameless captain.

[Titan24]

On the other hand Sarfaraz is saying we came home with 11 points not 2-4.

It looks like Sarfaraz is content with what they achieved but some players arent.

[Khan12]

On the other hand Sarfaraz is saying we came home with 11 points not 2-4.

It looks like Sarfaraz is content with what they achieved but some players arent.

Rubbish captain, batsmen and a shameless person too. A recipe for disaster. Should be kicked out permanently for just saying what he said the other day let alone his performances.

[saeed5646]

Every thing is going imad way for captaincy
1)Saved pakistan from a certain defeat against Afghanistan
2)Played yet another crucial inning against Bangladesh
3)Backing of strong lobby in face of shakeel sheikh who will make sure he gets captaincy

Today statement is final nail in coffin to get odi /T20I captaincy.

[Khan12]

Every thing is going imad way for captaincy
1)Saved pakistan from a certain defeat against Afghanistan
2)Played yet another crucial inning against Bangladesh
3)Backing of strong lobby in face of shakeel sheikh who will make sure he gets captaincy

Today statement is final nail in coffin to get odi /T20I captaincy.

Hopefully not, he can play t20 but need to get rid of him in Odi, can't remember the last time he took a wicket.

[saeed5646]

Hopefully not, he can play t20 but need to get rid of him in Odi, can't remember the last time he took a wicket.

Unfortunately it is true

[Mueez]

Two contradicting statements.

Imad is clever he knows he might be the next captain so he has played it safe I guess...

[Hasan123]

Much better attitude and mentality than best captain since IK.

[DHONI183]

I watched this press conference live on Geo News. I think some of our journalists need to learn basic manners whilst asking questions, especially the kind of ton in which they're asked.

Seriously liked Imad`s answers. Spoke like a true gentleman and a sportsman. Always came across as a level-headed guy. He's captaincy material in my opinion, and always was actually, but needs to make himself more capable than just a spinner who bowls economically. Needs more consistent performances with the bat. If he gets that right, there's no reason why he can't be made the captain.

[cricketfan11]

He was asked if he is in the captaincy race.
His response was unclear but he said something like he is not a horse..to be in a race.
On the one hand he is quite firm about winning and losing is part and parcel of the game and on the other hand he is disappointed the team didn't win the cup!

He wasn't able to lead Karachi Kings successfully in PSL so I am not sure if he is a deserving candidate.

[Ucdkee]

Seems like he follows pakpassion. Knew exactly what to so to make us happy.

[MenInG]

Pictures from PCB

[PakPremi]

Many matches in the long losing streak by Pakistan were captained by Imad and Malik, yet Sarfraz gets the blame for all of them.

[AdamM97]

Seems like he follows pakpassion. Knew exactly what to so to make us happy.

I’m almost certain that some players read the commentary threads after every game.

I remember that one match against England in May where everyone complained about Imam’s 70-80 SR and then he went on to play with a SR over 90 the very next match.

[Maliq_Mudasir]

Seems like he follows pakpassion. Knew exactly what to so to make us happy.

Pakpassion is not the only place where logic exists.

[Maliq_Mudasir]

Many matches in the long losing streak by Pakistan were captained by Imad and Malik, yet Sarfraz gets the blame for all of them.

Imad's failure doesn't make Sarfaraz invincible.

[MRSN]

Every thing is going imad way for captaincy
1)Saved pakistan from a certain defeat against Afghanistan
2)Played yet another crucial inning against Bangladesh
3)Backing of strong lobby in face of shakeel sheikh who will make sure he gets captaincy

Today statement is final nail in coffin to get odi /T20I captaincy.

What about lobbies that keep Sarfraz as captain in all formats for 3 years despite his on field and off the field circus and despite team losing and his zero performance as a leader? At least Imad is overall bettee player and can inspire his team mates with some performance.

[ManFan]

We need to see his captaincy to judge it and not just look at the predecessor in comparison.

Imad has failed in the PSL as the head of KK for two seasons.

What he did in U-19 a decade ago should not have any bearing on what he might do in international cricket now.

We need someone who is an automatic selection in ODIÂ’s and not a semi all-rounder.

[aukhan]

Impressive statement from the former u19 Captain. At least he realizes it and is not delusional.

Imad needs to improve his bowling and then i'll start supporting him as the next captain. Definitely an upgrade over the clueless illiterate captain.

[Napa]

The statement “If you don't win the World Cup or reach the semis/final, it's not satisfactory" is jarring

as it is logically the same as:

“If you don't reach the World Cup semis, it's not satisfactory"

Not-A implies Not-B

Is same as:

B implies A

Reaching final or winning is a subset of reaching the semifinals.

Etc.

[saeed5646]

What about lobbies that keep Sarfraz as captain in all formats for 3 years despite his on field and off the field circus and despite team losing and his zero performance as a leader? At least Imad is overall bettee player and can inspire his team mates with some performance.

Where i said sarfraz is better?Both are rubbish and it will be travesty to appoint imad as a odi captain.

[RameezRambo_Fan]

At least he has some shame and says what the rest of the country feels, unlike that mental case Sarfaraz.

[saeed5646]

Impressive statement from the former u19 Captain. At least he realizes it and is not delusional.

Imad needs to improve his bowling and then i'll start supporting him as the next captain. Definitely an upgrade over the clueless illiterate captain.

Bowling is alright. It is the fitness which cause alot of frustration for me .
he failed in yoyo test before worldcup.

[Snowflake]

Can't really consider a player who is not a permanent fixture in the side for captaincy. However, this is Pakistan cricket, things work in mysterious ways.

[Snowflake]

At least he has some shame and says what the rest of the country feels, unlike that mental case Sarfaraz.

Tbh, he's in a pretty good spot to be making these 'crowd pleasing' statements. It is the captain who has been subjected to constant criticism during the entirety of the WC.

[sshakir411]

He was asked if he is in the captaincy race.
His response was unclear but he said something like he is not a horse..to be in a race.
On the one hand he is quite firm about winning and losing is part and parcel of the game and on the other hand he is disappointed the team didn't win the cup!

He wasn't able to lead Karachi Kings successfully in PSL so I am not sure if he is a deserving candidate.

This. Unfortunately our fans can’t tell the contradiction in what he said..because apparently he speaks like a statesman.

[farazaidi]

very smart of Imad, he knows how to handle and manipulate media. I really hope he doesnt become captain thou, he is too fake and end up as another Salman Butt, non performing captain minus the spot fixing.

[GLORY OF '92]

Must be made captain. Called it years ago.

[BalluBalleBaaz]

Well spoken, i can see him rising to leadership very soon.

[hb787]

Two contradicting statements.

Imad is clever he knows he might be the next captain so he has played it safe I guess...

He knows what he is doing. I’ll take him as a captain for a year. See how he does and if he is not good enough, groom someone else for 2023.

[saeedhk]

Speaks like a true champ. Shows he has high expectations.

[Third Man]

The statement “If you don't win the World Cup or reach the semis/final, it's not satisfactory" is jarring

as it is logically the same as:

“If you don't reach the World Cup semis, it's not satisfactory"

Not-A implies Not-B

Is same as:

B implies A

Reaching final or winning is a subset of reaching the semifinals.

Etc.

Right, Aristotle. If you don't reach the semis, it's not a satisfactory world cup. That's what he meant. If you win it, that means it was a great world cup for you and not just a satisfactory one.

[Pakistanian]

Reaching the semis isn't a big deal, Pakistan could've easily beaten a weak Sri Lankan side and be in the semis, the goal should be to get to the finals at all cost.

[Mr.Q]

If Sarfraz the captain says performance was unsatisfactory and below expectations, he’d be digging his own grave. Such a statement can be used to strip him off captaincy or maybe even a place in the squad! Imad can say that because a) he’s just another squad member and b) he performed well in the WC with the bat. Looks like he’s an opportunist. That’s actually not a bad thing at all in most situations.

[srh]

Every thing is going imad way for captaincy
1)Saved pakistan from a certain defeat against Afghanistan
2)Played yet another crucial inning against Bangladesh
3)Backing of strong lobby in face of shakeel sheikh who will make sure he gets captaincy

Today statement is final nail in coffin to get odi /T20I captaincy.

Imad like Sarfraz also does not make the team on merit

[KingKhanWC]

Imad already averages over 42 in ODIs with the bat. Doesnt have the best average with the ball in 50 overs but this will improve as he's a good T20 bowler. He is well spoken, well educated and gives it his all on the field of play.

He should be given the captaincy right now.

[mastermind_quad]

That's the right thing to say. Good Imad.

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

Homeboi gunning for that Kaptaan position

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

Imad like Sarfraz also does not make the team on merit

But he speaks good angrezi and looks good.

[Madplayer]

Seems like he follows pakpassion. Knew exactly what to so to make us happy.

Exactly what i thought. Look how he has swayed the emotions in his favour. Mediocre ODI player who should not be in the team, let alone captain unless he becomes a good enough batsman to bat at 5.

[PakLFC]

Agree with Imad. Sarfaraz is trying to fool people by saying we performed well.

[The streak is Alive]

Two contradicting statements.

Imad is clever he knows he might be the next captain so he has played it safe I guess...

Yeah one couldn't help but compare his statement to that of Sarfaraz. Well done Imad!

However, Pakistan has to be wary of making this guy the captain. He is likely to be a passenger in the XI, hardly ever picks up wickets - 2 wickets @ 94 this WC. He will be one of the prime candidates to be dropped if Pakistan decide to reorganize and invest in a proper spinner.

[Green Patriot]

Imad may make all the nice,goody goody statements he likes but fact of the matter is that he is not good enough to be in the team.We need a proper allrounder who is a consistent match winner.Not a guy who cant spin the bowl even a centimeter and is not consistent enough with the bat not to mention has failed twice in the fitness tests.
Once after the Asia Cup when he was even dropped for this reason but instead of working hard on it he still failed before the WC which shows that he was not even concerned of the fact that he could have been dropped for an event as prestigious as the WC too,as it had already happened once before.

This clearly shows that he is lazy and not devoted or focused enough which is the sort of attitude we need to dump as far away from the team as possible, and if his place is made permanent by say giving him the captaincy (May God save us from that horror) who is to say he will not turn out like Sarfaraz and stop working on his game and fitness altogether.

Even though he has had a fairly good tournament i just dont think he should be a long term option for us.

[Mueez]

He knows what he is doing. I’ll take him as a captain for a year. See how he does and if he is not good enough, groom someone else for 2023.

Yeah I’d make him the captain for the T20 side till next WT20 see how he does and then make him the ODI captain.

[Mueez]

Yeah one couldn't help but compare his statement to that of Sarfaraz. Well done Imad!

However, Pakistan has to be wary of making this guy the captain. He is likely to be a passenger in the XI, hardly ever picks up wickets - 2 wickets @ 94 this WC. He will be one of the prime candidates to be dropped if Pakistan decide to reorganize and invest in a proper spinner.

He deserves to be there as a pinch-hitter.

Much better than Asif Ali etc.

His bowling is an extra though.

[topspin]

This epitomises the difference between small team mentality and bigger team mentality between the current captain and his potential successor.

Imad would be my vice-captain and Amir as the skipper of the side.

Sarfraz thinks defending the team's showing will hide his shortcomings as a captain, along with his fitness and as a batsman, but he's merely just digging himself a hole. It shows how content he is with his CT win. As long as he's captain of the team and enjoying his biryani life is good for him.

Ehsan Mani made a big mistake to retain Sarfraz as the captain of the side following the Andile incident, now is the time for this old man to finally wake up and realise this nightmare is of a captain is our reality.

[KingKhanWC]

This epitomises the difference between small team mentality and bigger team mentality between the current captain and his potential successor.

Imad would be my vice-captain and Amir as the skipper of the side.

Sarfraz thinks defending the team's showing will hide his shortcomings as a captain, along with his fitness and as a batsman, but he's merely just digging himself a hole. It shows how content he is with his CT win. As long as he's captain of the team and enjoying his biryani life is good for him.

Ehsan Mani made a big mistake to retain Sarfraz as the captain of the side following the Andile incident, now is the time for this old man to finally wake up and realise this nightmare is of a captain is our reality.

Is Amir smart enough to be captain? I dont know if he is but Imad has captained before. Also what about Babar for the future? Make him vice captain or would it hamper his batting?

[Saj]

I'd guess that if Sarfaraz is replaced as ODI skipper, Imad will be high up on the list of contenders for the role.

There aren't too many contenders really for the role.

[moghul]

We don't have any Williamson, Kohli, Smith ( pre-ban ) or even Root in Pakistan team, from the available contender, Imad is the best one.

[moghul]

Is Amir smart enough to be captain? I dont know if he is but Imad has captained before. Also what about Babar for the future? Make him vice captain or would it hamper his batting?

Babar is the only world class player we have and is the mainstay of our batting. Lets not take any chances on him by putting further burden on his young shoulders.

[topspin]

Is Amir smart enough to be captain? I dont know if he is but Imad has captained before. Also what about Babar for the future? Make him vice captain or would it hamper his batting?

Amir has a good cricketing brain, but more crucially for this team he knows how to keep calm under pressure when the stakes are high, as evident from his track record in ICC competitions. Ever since he made his debut in the 2009 WT20, you could see the nerves of steel in him, with the way he bowled to a Mahela Jayawardene in the final (who was the best batsman and man of the tournament). He went on to dismiss him in the opening over of the contest, following a challenging flurry of five dot deliveries.

Ever since then he has impressed me with the ball in every ICC competition he has played in, except the 2016 WT20, but he can be excused for not showing up, as he had only just returned from a six year absence at professional level.

Amir hasn't had the chance to captain a PSL side or a Pakistan team on a permanent basis because they fear a backlash and a possible recurrence of what happened at Lords, nine years ago. He's a mature cricketer now and we have to move on from what happened a decade ago. PCB need to stop their conservative approach and be more bold with their decision making, however they cannot be trusted with their lack of aptitude and objectivity. The way they think is like this, "our last young captain was Salman Butt, he was the spot-fixing mastermind, therefore young players cannot lead the side in the future".

As per PCB's seniority culture, they have a phobia with opting for a captain under the age of 30, especially if he has a tainted past. Don't be surprised if the next captain is Hafeez.

I would be content with Imad as captain, as he has similar mental traits to Amir with his calm demeanour. He leads by example with the intent he shows with the bat and how he strives to deliver selflessly for the greater good of the team.

They are both important to the side, however I would choose Amir because he is a better cricketer and sets a better example when it comes to fitness. We need a leader who our players can look up to, not just on the field but how they carry themselves in the media, with their diet and training regimes etc.

Amir should quit test matches, as it's blindingly obvious his heart simply isn't invested in it and doesn't enjoy the longer format, especially in the UAE. This will allow him to keep fit and thus extend his ODI career by at least another four years. It's also important Pakistan don't overuse him in meaningless T20Is against the likes of Zimbabwe, Ireland, Scotland and under strength Sri Lanka and West Indies teams.

If Pakistan wants to adopt a single captaincy approach for all three formats, then it's between Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, as these are the only two players who make all the three versions of the game on merit. Due to the lack of choice you can see why this is a restrictive approach. The other problem I have with this comes back to the issue of player rotation. Like Amir, I do not want to see Babar play every meaningless T20I and there should also be scope for him to be rested in a few ODIs as well.

I'm not sold with Babar as captain mostly because of his persona. He comes across as a bit timid and the way he responded to Zainab Abbas on Twitter (last November) suggests he may have trouble handling the spotlight (for now). For these reasons, I think it may hamper his batting in the short-term. He clearly leads by example with the bat, but for now he will be my test vice-captain.

After watching Shan Masood in the away series to South Africa, I feel he's not only ready to cement his place in the XI as an opener, but he's also ready to lead the side.In a nutshell he's the direct opposite of Sarfraz when you consider the way he: analyses the game, his work ethic + fitness and how he carries himself off the field.

Last thing we need is Sarfraz retaining his captaincy, especially in the longer format, as this happens to be his worst format as the skipper of the team.

The one captain fits all approach is very popular within Pakistan's cricket circles because we like to be lackadaisical with our thought process. Appointing different captains for different formats isn't popular because of the fear this will lead to grouping and subsequent disunity among the players, however we have to keep up with the modern game. It is imperative that at least two captains are appointed to ensure the mental toll of captaincy is spread to more than one leader playing for Pakistan.

To conclude my choices are as follows:

Test Captain: Shan Masood (vice-captain: Babar Azam)
ODI Captain: Mohammad Amir (vice-captain: Imad Wasim)
T20I Captain: Imad Wasim (Amir needs to be rested more in T20Is)

[Madplayer]

For those brilliant minds wanting Imad to be captain, do you think any of the top 4 sides of the world would make such a player their captain? A player who isnt good enough in any facet of the game. Whats his specialization?

And then people complain why we arent as good as the top sides of the world.

[pakistanigoneaussie]

T20s aside his spot is hardly secure, especially with his harmless bowling

Can’t be making him captain

[moghul]

For those brilliant minds wanting Imad to be captain, do you think any of the top 4 sides of the world would make such a player their captain? A player who isnt good enough in any facet of the game. Whats his specialization?

And then people complain why we arent as good as the top sides of the world.

Whats wrong with him ? he is the only true all rounder in white ball cricket in Pakistan , but not in tests. In tests every good bowler supposed to take wickets, but in ODI and T20, an economical spell is also a good one and he is a very good late order batsman.

After Babar and Amir, he is the third most valuable player in the team.

[Madplayer]

Whats wrong with him ? he is the only true all rounder in white ball cricket in Pakistan , but not in tests. In tests every good bowler supposed to take wickets, but in ODI and T20, an economical spell is also a good one and he is a very good late order batsman.

After Babar and Amir, he is the third most valuable player in the team.

The problem with him is that he isnt a specialist in any facet of the game. Thats his problem and it is a big problem. You dont make players like these captains. Will India make someone like Stuart Binny as their captain? Or Will England make a Moeen Ali as their captain? The captain should be a specialist batsman or bowler whose own performances cannot be questioned.

[Usman Chadda]

Our Prime Minister will flip if we make Imad the captain

[PakPremi]

Imad's failure doesn't make Sarfaraz invincible.

No one said Sarfraz is invincible,in fact he is quite vulnerable, but do not dis-credit Sarfraz for 12-0 when he did not captain half of those games.

[PakPremi]

Test Captain: Shan Masood (vice-captain: Babar Azam)
ODI Captain: Mohammad Amir (vice-captain: Imad Wasim)
T20I Captain: Imad Wasim (Amir needs to be rested more in T20Is)

Good choices but PCB would never make Amir captain due to his past, and Shan Masood is not yet regular in the team. My guess is Sarfraz will remain Test captain and Babar will be ODI and T20 captain.

[Danyaalr01]

Test Captain: Shan Masood (vice-captain: Babar Azam)
ODI Captain: Mohammad Amir (vice-captain: Imad Wasim)
T20I Captain: Imad Wasim (Amir needs to be rested more in T20Is)

Although Amir would be a decent captain, it would be too risky to make a fast bowler a captain as fast bowlers require rest or they will be burned out, also they are most prone to injury. We can't have a captain who is sitting might miss a few games or series.

He could be part of the decision making leadership group, as I think his input will be quite valuable. At the moment he seems like a quite guy who does his job and leaves.

Shan Masood has to become a regular member of the test side to become captain.