"Imad Wasim has some limitations which he needs to improve upon" : Mohammad Wasim

[MenInG]

Mohammad Wasim speaking about why Imad was not selected and Nawaz preferred over him:

"Imad Wasim has some limitations which he needs to improve upon, because you cannot be a limited cricketer in any form of the game; You need to be ready for any scenario or situation - so when we compare both, Nawaz is the better option"

"Look we replaced Imad with Nawaz and the way he has performed, we will continue with Nawaz; He can bowl with the new ball, bowl in the middle overs, against left or right-handed batsman - he can handle any situation; The same applied to his batting where he can bat in any position or play the role in any slot"

[nextover666666]

Dont agree i feel imad is better than nawaz

I do think moving forward we should have 3 spinners 2 proper spinners and 1 all arounder

Replacing imad with nawaz does not make sense because he is same category of shadab and imad but from the three i rank nawaz the worst

[Mamoon]

A totally senseless decision by a con-artist who fools gullible fans with his MacBook and colorful charts.

M. Wasim is clueless and has a personal agenda. He is playing to the galleries and trying hard to showcase himself as a visionary genius. He is fishing for cheap praise.

Imad is Pakistan’s best all-rounder in LOIs. He is a more reliable lower-order finisher than the likes of Asif Ali and Iftikhar.

Dropping him was a totally senseless decision. I am happy to see Nawaz in the squad but not at Imad’s expense.

[indianpanacea]

Nawaz is definitely a better batsman and can bat even at top order..Bowlingwise nawaz is more conventional and gives more air to deliveries while as on other hand Imad darts faster ones..on pitches conducive to spin nawaz can be lethal..

[Justcrazy]

Imad is a better bowler , and in these situations, you need to put more emphasis on the bowling abilities rather than batting , because you would need 4 overs from them . In 20 20 the batting is limited , you would not be facing more than 10 - 15 balls as a lower order hitter.

[HappyWarsFan]

The selections babe bene good. And Imad is a useless bowler. I am excited to actual have a real spinner playing ODIs again, last time was in the glory days of 2011-14.

Granted, Usman Qadir isn't that good but it's nice to actually have a spinner for once rather than 2 rubbish spinners like Shadab and Imad who aren't proper spinners.

[Justcrazy]

Nawaz is definitely a better batsman and can bat even at top order..Bowlingwise nawaz is more conventional and gives more air to deliveries while as on other hand Imad darts faster ones..on pitches conducive to spin nawaz can be lethal..

In 20 20 , Imad bowling style suits the format. 4 overs for 24 without any wickets is better than 4 overs 3 - 40

[Bewal Express]

Imad can only bowl with the new ball but that stops the ball swinging for the pace bowlers. It's an option against some teams and in some conditions but it hasn't worked often enough. MW has told him to be more adaptable and unless he improves, he won't play. Good job by MW.

[Justcrazy]

The selections babe bene good. And Imad is a useless bowler. I am excited to actual have a real spinner playing ODIs again, last time was in the glory days of 2011-14.

Granted, Usman Qadir isn't that good but it's nice to actually have a spinner for once rather than 2 rubbish spinners like Shadab and Imad who aren't proper spinners.

Qadir is good against a weaker team who cannot pick his googly , he is not good against quality teams. His batting is also far inferior to Imad.

[Bewal Express]

Qadir is good against a weaker team who cannot pick his googly , he is not good against quality teams. His batting is also far inferior to Imad.

Qadir has lots of improvements to do, but he is much more of a wicket taking threat in the middle overs.

[Justcrazy]

Qadir has lots of improvements to do, but he is much more of a wicket taking threat in the middle overs.

That si why he is more suited to OD , not 20 20 . The longer the format the better for him

[IMMY69]

Imad is on a different level to Nawaz.

This is getting really annoying.
Our selectors, whoever they are, are a bunch of dodos.

Sickening

[IMMY69]

Imad can only bowl with the new ball but that stops the ball swinging for the pace bowlers. It's an option against some teams and in some conditions but it hasn't worked often enough. MW has told him to be more adaptable and unless he improves, he won't play. Good job by MW.

Imad can change a game with bat in hand.
He has the ability to finish games off or be the actual striker who push the total and take it from a mediocre total to a great total.

His bowling, however unorthodox it looks, is perfectly suited to the format and his performances bear that out. Plus the World Cup will be in India so yes he will most likely be opening up the innings.
If the wicket takes spin then he becomes deadly in the middle of the innings too... he gets the ball to holds its line which makes it hard for batters to read.

Dropping Imad is a real injustice especially given the reasons for it

[Bewal Express]

That si why he is more suited to OD , not 20 20 . The longer the format the better for him

Let's face it, we aren't very good at either. He needs to play, and then if he doesn't do well, drop and bring back later. The options are limited, Imad is overweight and mostly rubbish Shadab has stopped bowling leg spin and Nawaz is very average.

[Bewal Express]

Imad can change a game with bat in hand.
He has the ability to finish games off or be the actual striker who push the total and take it from a mediocre total to a great total.

His bowling, however unorthodox it looks, is perfectly suited to the format and his performances bear that out. Plus the World Cup will be in India so yes he will most likely be opening up the innings.
If the wicket takes spin then he becomes deadly in the middle of the innings too... he gets the ball to holds its line which makes it hard for batters to read.

Dropping Imad is a real injustice especially given the reasons for it

Imad is a decent lower order player, but as a bowler his bowling is innocuous for the team. What I mean by that is that you have to take wickets upfront and if you don't, you lose. If he opens the bowling, the ball either doesn't swing at all, or swings a lot less.
For him to be effective in the middle order, he needs to spin the ball, compare him to the likes of Jadeja or Rashid and you see that he doesn't offer a wicket threat.
Imad will come back and this kick up the backside may do him so good.

[IMMY69]

Imad is a decent lower order player, but as a bowler his bowling is innocuous for the team. What I mean by that is that you have to take wickets upfront and if you don't, you lose. If he opens the bowling, the ball either doesn't swing at all, or swings a lot less.
For him to be effective in the middle order, he needs to spin the ball, compare him to the likes of Jadeja or Rashid and you see that he doesn't offer a wicket threat.
Imad will come back and this kick up the backside may do him so good.

But you would want Imad in the side because of his batting ability and in India at times you would want at least two if not three spinners in the side...

[moghul]

Mohammad Wasim speaking about why Imad was not selected and Nawaz preferred over him:

"Imad Wasim has some limitations which he needs to improve upon, because you cannot be a limited cricketer in any form of the game; You need to be ready for any scenario or situation - so when we compare both, Nawaz is the better option"

"Look we replaced Imad with Nawaz and the way he has performed, we will continue with Nawaz; He can bowl with the new ball, bowl in the middle overs, against left or right-handed batsman - he can handle any situation; The same applied to his batting where he can bat in any position or play the role in any slot"

Look who is talking, Imad is playing international cricket T20 cricket fro 6 years and now Wasim found some limitations in him, on the other hand he picked another guy from Arya Mohalla who never played any club cricket and is now selected for all 3 formats , including test cricket.

[Nasty Naz]

His bowling average in the last 3 years: 63.25.

Handy with the bat for sure but can you really have an ODI lineup that features Faheem/Imad/Shadab whom are all basically not taking wickets? No. Wicket taking is something Pakistan has been struggling with in all formats so it does make sense to try out some new combinations.

I don't think Nawaz is the solution and I don't expect him to play either as he is likely to be a backup option to Shadab.

[Savak]

Imad has always has fitness issues. To me his bowling has not really evolved, by now he should have been able to spin the ball both ways at will. He should be aiming to be Pakistans Ravindra Jadeja

[kingusama92]

Imad hasn't been good with the ball for years now.

This includes his average and economy rate in both formats (T20Is and ODIs).

[RedwoodOriginal]

Imad has always has fitness issues. To me his bowling has not really evolved, by now he should have been able to spin the ball both ways at will. He should be aiming to be Pakistans Ravindra Jadeja

Yeah but the human beach ball Sharjeel is a model of excellence for fitness.

Anyone who doesn't think Imad Wasim isn't the best limited-overs all-rounder that Pakistan has, has been watching cricket with their eyes closed for the last few years.

Go back and watch the match against Afghanistan in the 2019 World Cup.

Or look at his economy rate...or better yet, his batting numbers in ODIs.

[RedwoodOriginal]

I can't believe this joke of a YouTube pundit is chief-selector. He's taking everyone for a ride and causing immense damage to our side. There is no stability in selection and no logic behind the selections. The few guys who were reliable performers are getting dropped for no good reason other than personal likes and dislikes of the chief-selector. On top of that, people here are cheerleading his actions as if they never watched a ball of cricket in their life.

I don't know how Wasim conned his way into this job but the man is poison for Pakistan cricket. I pray and hope that he is fired as soon as possible.

[sohailmm]

Both are rubbish TBH , they should have gone with some new talent like leggie Zahid .

[RedwoodOriginal]

The same people that had a problem with Misbah selecting the inexperienced Naseem Shah see no problem with the selection of Dahani and Haris Rauf who btw have played 1 and 3 FC matches respectively while Naseem had played a whole season of FC cricket when he was called up.

But dropping Imad is by far the most egregious decision taken by Wasim. It's clear that he does not like Imad otherwise he would not have made this pointed remark or praised Nawaz the way he did.

Regardless of what you may think of Nawaz's talent or ability his stats do not show he is anything special. Certainly not as special as Wasim is claiming he is. He has had numerous stints in the national side but always failed to make a mark. His current form is nothing compared to the red hot form he was in, in 2016 when he was one of the breakout stars of PSL.

And its not like he couldn't have selected both Nawaz and Imad. He did this deliberately because he knew that if he selected both, Nawaz would likely sit out most of the matches over Imad.

[Hasan123]

He has a lot of faith in Nawaz. The pressure is now on him to perform.

[Omer2002]

Imad is useless and i am happy they have dropped him. He can be a handy 2020 and i am sure he will be in world cup squad

[Zaz]

His bowling average in the last 3 years: 63.25.

Handy with the bat for sure but can you really have an ODI lineup that features Faheem/Imad/Shadab whom are all basically not taking wickets? No. Wicket taking is something Pakistan has been struggling with in all formats so it does make sense to try out some new combinations.

I don't think Nawaz is the solution and I don't expect him to play either as he is likely to be a backup option to Shadab.

His bowling in odis maybe innocuous but he avges 50 with the bat over the same period - 42 overall

Hes the most reliable finisher pakistan has at a great strike rate

[Rellu_Katta]

Nawaz is a much better bowler and fielder but Imad is miles ahead of him in batting...

infect Imad is miles ahead of Iftti Chacha, Khushdil, Hussain Talat, Asif Ali and many others

I would have had Imad's name in LOI at all times but i think he is being punished bcz of his stupidity in 2nd T20 in NZ

[Rellu_Katta]

If i rememebr correctly, Imad left the field without any reason bcz of an argument with Shadab.

Haffez tried to call him back but he didn't listen to anyone.

Is he being punished for that?

I don't see a reason for him to be dropped from LOI

[Bewal Express]

Imad has always has fitness issues. To me his bowling has not really evolved, by now he should have been able to spin the ball both ways at will. He should be aiming to be Pakistans Ravindra Jadeja

He should have developed but a lack of competition damaged his motivation and desire to improve. Compare how well Riz and SA have used the competition to improve their game.

[Zaz]

If i rememebr correctly, Imad left the field without any reason bcz of an argument with Shadab.

Haffez tried to call him back but he didn't listen to anyone.

Is he being punished for that?

I don't see a reason for him to be dropped from LOI

Thats not the reason M Waseem gave Hes promised clarity and communication so if that incident is the reason hes obviously not being clesr about it

[Bewal Express]

Nawaz is a much better bowler and fielder but Imad is miles ahead of him in batting...

infect Imad is miles ahead of Iftti Chacha, Khushdil, Hussain Talat, Asif Ali and many others

I would have had Imad's name in LOI at all times but i think he is being punished bcz of his stupidity in 2nd T20 in NZ

As an international bowler, Nawaz isn't very good. I would esr describe him as functional.

[Usman]

I don't know about ODIs but in T20s, there is no question that Imad is superior. He regularly gets wickets and dries up runs with his accurate bowling. Then when he comes out to bat, he plays that crucial cameo that takes us to the winning score. Nawaz is just ok all round.

I think Mohammed Wasim has too much power here and its about time he gets axed. Mark my words, this guy will have us pulling our hair out when he selects the T20 World Cup squad.

[Ryw]

If i rememebr correctly, Imad left the field without any reason bcz of an argument with Shadab.

Haffez tried to call him back but he didn't listen to anyone.

Is he being punished for that?

I don't see a reason for him to be dropped from LOI

Imad Wasim tried to become oversmart in that game, CHICHORI HARKAT well deserved omission from team...

[Slim]

I think theres more than it meets the eye when it comes to Imad's omission. He is definitely better than the likes of frauds like Nawaz, Asif and also better than "finisher" Iftikhar.

[Slim]

I don't know about ODIs but in T20s, there is no question that Imad is superior. He regularly gets wickets and dries up runs with his accurate bowling. Then when he comes out to bat, he plays that crucial cameo that takes us to the winning score. Nawaz is just ok all round.

I think Mohammed Wasim has too much power here and its about time he gets axed. Mark my words, this guy will have us pulling our hair out when he selects the T20 World Cup squad.

About time he gets axed?

He has just joined..

[hitthestump]

I don't know about ODIs but in T20s, there is no question that Imad is superior. He regularly gets wickets and dries up runs with his accurate bowling. Then when he comes out to bat, he plays that crucial cameo that takes us to the winning score. Nawaz is just ok all round.

I think Mohammed Wasim has too much power here and its about time he gets axed. Mark my words, this guy will have us pulling our hair out when he selects the T20 World Cup squad.

I agree. ODI's i can sort of understand but also not really as he is a handy enough AR to get in.

T20's seems insane though. Imad is sought after all around the world for his t20 skills. His statistics are self-explanatory when you consider how much he bowls in the PP.

I think Imad has rubbed someone up the wrong way and is paying for it.

[mac187]

it's actually a good decision to drop imad. not sure why people find it so surprising.

in the psl where imad was captain he didn't bowl himself at crunch moments, in fact there was a game where he didnt bowl any overs. if he has a problem at bowling at left handers then he needs to go and find a way to bowl at them and that is what the selectors have said to him. he is a liability to take into big games, imagine being in a world cup game and two left handers are at the crease and imad doesn't have the confidence to bowl.

he is limited at best with the bat, I don't recall any games he has won for us. he has improved recently but still long way to go.

If he is the professional that everyone thinks he is then he should take this as constructive criticism and work on his game. he comes across like he some game winner with his attitude esp with the incident of walking off the field but his record is nothing special.

[BigShak]

If he’s too scared to bowl to left handed batsmen then he shouldn’t be in the team. Can’t afford one dimensional bowlers in the lineup I’m afraid. He’s done decently as a finisher but will always fail against the bigger teams as they know he can’t play the short ball to save his life and will just target him with that. Nawaz isn’t really the answer tbh. Gohar has better potential with the bat than Nawaz imo.

[Savak]

People wanted an independent CS, someone who will have his own vision for the squad, who will value domestic performers, someone who will not make Fitness the sole criteria and will put more weightage on the skills, abilities of the player i.e. Sharjeel, someone who will think outside the box unlike Misbah. Wasim has every right to make the selections he feels fit. Now that he has got the role, please give him time.

[Savak]

There is a lot of competition for spinners in our ODI and T-20 squad i.e Usman Qadir, Zahid Mehmood, Shadab Khan, Yasir Shah.

What Pakistan need is a Saeed Ajmal, Hafeez type Off spinning run chokers. Imad feasts on weak teams but can be taken for plenty against the major sides unless he adds more versatility to his bowling.

[HappyWarsFan]

The same people that had a problem with Misbah selecting the inexperienced Naseem Shah see no problem with the selection of Dahani and Haris Rauf who btw have played 1 and 3 FC matches respectively while Naseem had played a whole season of FC cricket when he was called up.

But dropping Imad is by far the most egregious decision taken by Wasim. It's clear that he does not like Imad otherwise he would not have made this pointed remark or praised Nawaz the way he did.

Regardless of what you may think of Nawaz's talent or ability his stats do not show he is anything special. Certainly not as special as Wasim is claiming he is. He has had numerous stints in the national side but always failed to make a mark. His current form is nothing compared to the red hot form he was in, in 2016 when he was one of the breakout stars of PSL.

And its not like he couldn't have selected both Nawaz and Imad. He did this deliberately because he knew that if he selected both, Nawaz would likely sit out most of the matches over Imad.

His selections are not perfect. I don't think Dhanj should have been picked or Abid Ali..

He is pretty good though imo.

You are really going OTT with your internet anger over him.

Are you the kind of guy who would have stuck with Sarfraz over Rizwan in the name "cOnTiNuItY!!"?

[gazza619]

You dont drop a player that is performing well!

Imad is a top notch player and is miles ahead of Shadab and should actually be captaining Pakistan in limited overs cricket ahead of the clueless Babar Azam.

[Savak]

You dont drop a player that is performing well!

Imad is a top notch player and is miles ahead of Shadab and should actually be captaining Pakistan in limited overs cricket ahead of the clueless Babar Azam.

Who says Babar is clueless. In fact recently I see Babar improving in terms of imposing his presence and being more animated in the field with his discussions with the bowlers and players.

Also there are reports that he is unhappy that Mohd Wasim ignored his requests for certain players and has contacted WK, EM about this. Call it indiscipline but atleast it shows a captain who wants his say and decisions to be respected and will fight for his say in the team

[Rana]

Lol the guy who should be the captain of the ODI and T20i team has limitations

[Maher96]

Injustice done by babar.

[Ahmed216]

Lol the guy who should be the captain of the ODI and T20i team has limitations

Yes he's a better player than babar.

[sindhiboy]

Imad has a fc batting avg of 40.

He can be a cheap version of jadeja

[Sunny_majoka]

I reckon imad has been punished on what he had done in a match vs NZ under shadab captaincy

[Suleiman]

Pathetic decision. This guy really is all show no substance as a selector. What does he see in Nawaz that Imad doesn’t have... yeah we’re gonna be in for a ride in this new season of PCB brought to you by Looney Tunes

[MHN1293]

A better hitter than iftilhar, kushdil and asif ali and a better t20 bowler than shadab dropped because of his limitations as if pak have rashid khans and maxwells waiting on the bench.

[RedwoodOriginal]

His selections are not perfect. I don't think Dhanj should have been picked or Abid Ali..

He is pretty good though imo.

You are really going OTT with your internet anger over him.

Are you the kind of guy who would have stuck with Sarfraz over Rizwan in the name "cOnTiNuItY!!"?

No need to make ridiculous approximations. And since you bring up Sarfraz, what is he doing here at all in the first place?

He is a horrendous selector and by far the worst one we have had in recent memory. And the reason is that he is a YouTube pundit who has conned his way into this job. What's worse is that people such as yourself are cheerleading his brainless selections eventhough they defy every rational and logical line of thinking.

[PakHammer]

The problem is that Shadab and Imad dont take enough wickets in T20 games. They used too but now they dont. So you can't play Imad and Shadab in the same T20 team as they are not wicket takers. Shadab is the current vice captain so he wont get dropped. All this fuss about economy rates means nothing. As the saying goes, the best way to stop the run rate is to take their wicket.

The likes of India, England, Australia, West Indies and New Zealand will think their Christmas's and Diwali's have come early if they were facing Imad and Shadab as the spinners in T20 world cup later this year.

[gazza619]

Who says Babar is clueless. In fact recently I see Babar improving in terms of imposing his presence and being more animated in the field with his discussions with the bowlers and players. Selectors have a job and I would let them do their job.

Also there are reports that he is unhappy that Mohd Wasim ignored his requests for certain players and has contacted WK, EM about this. Call it indiscipline but atleast it shows a captain who wants his say and decisions to be respected and will fight for his say in the team

I think there is still a lot to learn for Babar. He is not big enough also to be calling out shots on who he wants or doesnt want in the squad.

Respect is earned by winning overseas, or by winning a series based on individual performance. I am afraid Babar is not there yet and he needs to realise that. It seems like the same circle of people who corrupted the minds of the Akmal brothers are now doing the same to Babar.

[Sakss]

Totally disagree, imad is a better bowler and defiantly a better batsman

[Markhor]

Selection is a generally thankless job especially in a country like Pakistan where there's 210m selectors all with different opinions. You're never going to get 100% consensus as despite the increasing use of data and analytics, the role still involves a degree of subjectivity.

My view on all-rounders is they must perform as well as a specialist in at least one department, and be reasonably competent in the other department. Yet there's issues with all three of Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz. Faheem Ashraf was previously on this list but his batting has markedly improved, though his bowling needs work. Looking at their batting and bowling averages since 1st Jan 2019:

Imad Wasim:

ODIs: 50/63
T20s: 14/31

Shadab Khan:

ODIs: 19/41
T20s: 13/43

Mohammad Nawaz:

Has only played one ODI and three T20s in that timeframe, so will use his Pakistan Cup and PSL performances instead to provide larger sample:

Pakistan Cup: 33/72 (bowling avg was 116 in 2019; averaged 27 in 2021 tournament)
PSL: 24/52

What we can ascertain is there's no case anymore to retain Shadab. He's contributing little in both departments and really shouldn't be vice captain. Imad's the best ODI batsman and T20 bowler but there's big discrepancies between his batting and bowling numbers. And Nawaz doesn't convince in either department. He had a good QEA Trophy with the bat, a good Pakistan Cup with the ball, and took a few scalps against a very weak South Africa in the recent T20s - but probably will be exposed against stronger opposition.

So in the absence of quality all-round depth, my view is pick your six best batsmen, your best all-rounder (currently Faheem), and play your four best specialist bowlers and stop running after these bits and pieces cricketers.

[Usman]

About time he gets axed?

He has just joined..

He's been given far more time to prove himself than some of the players who he has dropped from his squads. The guy doesn't appear to have all his mental faculties which is really unfortunate, but I'm afraid he cannot be allowed to use the nation's cricket team selection as his mode of therapy.

I agree. ODI's i can sort of understand but also not really as he is a handy enough AR to get in.

T20's seems insane though. Imad is sought after all around the world for his t20 skills. His statistics are self-explanatory when you consider how much he bowls in the PP.

I think Imad has rubbed someone up the wrong way and is paying for it.

Yes exactly, even in ODIs he has had some brilliant games but less so than t20s, where he is a master of the format and one of the World's best.

I doubt Imad has rubbed anyone up the wrong way and reckon it's more to do with how totally hopeless Mohammed Wasim is.

[arunpsm]

As an Indian fan, in both T20I and LOI, Imad is the one batsman I fear more than some of the more celebrated top order bats in Pak...

[Geil]

Selection is a generally thankless job especially in a country like Pakistan where there's 210m selectors all with different opinions. You're never going to get 100% consensus as despite the increasing use of data and analytics, the role still involves a degree of subjectivity.

My view on all-rounders is they must perform as well as a specialist in at least one department, and be reasonably competent in the other department. Yet there's issues with all three of Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz. Faheem Ashraf was previously on this list but his batting has markedly improved, though his bowling needs work. Looking at their batting and bowling averages since 1st Jan 2019:

Imad Wasim:

ODIs: 50/63
T20s: 14/31

Shadab Khan:

ODIs: 19/41
T20s: 13/43

Mohammad Nawaz:

Has only played one ODI and three T20s in that timeframe, so will use his Pakistan Cup and PSL performances instead to provide larger sample:

Pakistan Cup: 33/72 (bowling avg was 116 in 2019; averaged 27 in 2021 tournament)
PSL: 24/52

What we can ascertain is there's no case anymore to retain Shadab. He's contributing little in both departments and really shouldn't be vice captain. Imad's the best ODI batsman and T20 bowler but there's big discrepancies between his batting and bowling numbers. And Nawaz doesn't convince in either department. He had a good QEA Trophy with the bat, a good Pakistan Cup with the ball, and took a few scalps against a very weak South Africa in the recent T20s - but probably will be exposed against stronger opposition.

So in the absence of quality all-round depth, my view is pick your six best batsmen, your best all-rounder (currently Faheem), and play your four best specialist bowlers and stop running after these bits and pieces cricketers.

Completely agree it reminds me of the years PAK were the Number 1 T20 bowling side in two or three T20 WC because they had bowlers like Afridi and Ajmal who too wickets in that middle overs which I feel Shadad,Imad or Nawaz don't do it the way Afridi did who was too an AR in T20

[Varun]

Any player who displays an attitude on the field of play - to the appointed captain no less - needs some time off to introspect and reflect on his career and performance for his team.

I hope that is the 'limitation' being referred to.

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said on Sumday that there is no reason to drop Imad Wasim from T20 squad for South Africa tour.

Speaking to media, Shoaib said that Imad should have been part of the T20 side but the all-rounder was overlooked by chief selector Mohammad Wasim.

Shoaib praised PCB’s chief executive Wasim Khan for his efforts in improving Pakistan cricket but at times he couldn’t because of his limitation.

Without naming PCB chairman Ehsan Mani, Shoaib said that if a mediocre person is sitting at the top, then decision making will be compromised.

“There was no reason for dropping Imad Wasim for the T20 series [in South Africa],” he said.

Shoaib also urged for improvement in club cricket adding that there is no dearth of talent in Pakistan, but the people who used to encourage club cricketers at local level are no more.

He also named some locals of Rawalpindi, who supported him for playing cricket. He also thanked management of Khan Research Laboratories for naming KRL Stadium after him.

Shoaib also said that revival of cricket series between India and Pakistan will be beneficial for both countries.

To another query about Kashmir Premier League (KPL), he said that he wished that reputed people should organise the KPL to make it success. “I wish honourable people should jump in to organise KPL to build a good narrative and to make the KPL non controversial,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2021

[Colorblind Genius]

Which other country’s selector say such blunt stuff to demoralize a good player like that in the national media?

I mean you are not doing a “game on hai” program anymore.
For goodness sake, just for once, can we stop with these all knowing type mama ji philosophies?

You now hold a key position in PCB. There is daily interaction with players. Can you be a little more articulate to value the professional relations with the players?

Perhaps a better and professional way of saying it is,

“Both are good players and both are in our arsenal. We just want to give a little more international exposure and experience to Nawaz.”

And then you can discuss whatever shortcomings with Imad behind the scenes (unless you haven’t already done so, which you should have, before the presser).

Hopefully M. Wasim learns this.

[Lfc4life786]

I can't believe our fans are actually questioning wasim. For the first time in years we finally have a competent chief selector who's picking players on merit and not on favouritism and nepotism. Players who have actually performed in domestic are getting achieved call ups and those who've been given a prolonged chance and failed like Ifthikar, Khushdil, talat have all rightly been dropped.

Imad wasim averages 65 with the ball since 2019. His bowling has been ineffective and sheer garbage for a while. He was awful in the BBL too. He's rightly been dropped. He Is in the side as a bowling all rounder first and we simply Cannot afford to have 2 ineffective non wicket taking spinners in imad and shadab in the side together. Especially with the t20 world Cup being played on spin friendly tracks. Nawaz is a better bowler who actually bowls like a proper spinner who will be a much better option in the sun continent. Pair him with usman qadir and you have a genuine spin bowling attack capable of keeping it tight and taking wickets. Nawaz and qadir offer much more with the ball then imad and shadab have done in the past 2 years and that's a fact. Nawaz is also a very underrated batsman. I think he can be a proper batsman whereas imad is a big hitter. Nawaz is much fitter and the better fielder too. Why the uproar?????

A chief selector will clearly not make everyone happy but this is absolutely ridiculous the levels of criticism being thrown his way. Players are being selected on merit and actual performance and there is a great mix of performing players with youngsters and potential to give them some exposure to the international scene.

It's called future planning people, something you must do at the highest level. Wake up and smell the coffee for god sake and get your head out the clouds.

We need to get rid of underperforming senior pros like wahab malik ifthikhar etc who offer little to no future for us. Investing in youngsters, developing serious potential like Dhani, waseem jnr, Abdullah, saud, Arshad iqbal and Co for the future and rewarding domestic performers like nauman, tabish, Danish etc is the way forward. It keeps players motivated domestically.

Wasim is a breath of fresh air. If we can get in some competent coaches to replace misbah and waqar our results and performances will only go northwards. Be careful what you wish for, If wasim goes we will back to square 1, trust me.

[Energy]

Imad was not confident with the ball during the PSL too after a mediocre BBL so there is a declining trend. It's a bold call made by Mohammed Wasim.

Besides, with Shadab, Qadir and Hafeez in the team for WT20I we could do with investing in an extra batsman.

[Babeikh]

If i rememebr correctly, Imad left the field without any reason bcz of an argument with Shadab.

Haffez tried to call him back but he didn't listen to anyone.

Is he being punished for that?

I don't see a reason for him to be dropped from LOI

Did this really happen? If that is the case then he is rightly dropped - cannot have such attitude. Needs to be taught a lesson.

[Babeikh]

To be honest he hasn't really developed as much as he should have. Don't think he adds anything special to the team.

[Barragan]

Imad is ideal for T20's, so it makes no sense for him to be dropped from that format.

He darts the ball, but perfect for T20's and really hard to score against.

[Shafi]

I think Shoaib is still respectable towards PCB boss. That guy is extreme incompetent and deserve more humiliation.
Also, he is indirectly attacked M Wasim whom still has potential to be the best CS. Just needs time and foreign coach.

[Hawkeye]

Not a fan of M. Wasim.

But, this decision is SPOT ON.

Imad Wasim is useless. He's an imposter, who's neither a decent batsman nor a bowler. A true definition of bits and pieces MEDIOCRITY.

As long as he's there, we'll remain an absolute mediocre LOI side.

But, does that mean Nawaz is a great allrounder? No, he too is bits and pieces. Almost as bad as Imad Wasim is!

But, he hasn't played as many matches as Imad the imposter. So, if Wasim wants to give him a chance, that's OK-ish.

In the long run, however, both are minnow-class bits and pieces.

We need either quality batters or bowlers in the allrounder category, i.e. be very good at least one facet of the game.

Imad Wasim is pathetic in ALL THREE - fielding, batting and bowling.

[UzmanBeast]

Not a fan of M. Wasim.

But, this decision is SPOT ON.

Imad Wasim is useless. He's an imposter, who's neither a decent batsman nor a bowler. A true definition of bits and pieces MEDIOCRITY.

As long as he's there, we'll remain an absolute mediocre LOI side.

But, does that mean Nawaz is a great allrounder? No, he too is bits and pieces. Almost as bad as Imad Wasim is!

But, he hasn't played as many matches as Imad the imposter. So, if Wasim wants to give him a chance, that's OK-ish.

In the long run, however, both are minnow-class bits and pieces.

We need either quality batters or bowlers in the allrounder category, i.e. be very good at least one facet of the game.

Imad Wasim is pathetic in ALL THREE - fielding, batting and bowling.

Until about early 2019, Imad was a solid player in T20s, perhaps one of the best spinners gooing around. His sudden downfall in bowling is quite concerning, he appears to be unfit and short of confidence. Similarly, when Babar was made captain, and Shadab his vice captain, Imad didn't appear to take it well (the phadda in New Zealand), so it is confusing as to what really happened.

Imad doesn't spin the ball, he's a darter who focuses more on keeping the ball within the stumps and skidding it. The issue is that outside the powerplay, when the ball has no shine, he doesn't skid the ball and is ineffective. The UAE was great for him because the pitch allowed the ball to skid and grip inconsistently, but in places like India, the ball loses its shine very quickly, especially on dry pitches. In the subcontinent, you need someone who can really turn the ball, and Nawaz does that better than Imad.

Similarly, I think that Imad wouldn't have been dropped if he bowled and batted more frequently in the PSL. Nabi outbowled him in almost every innings, and from someone you look to as a frontline bowling option, that's not a good sign. He also kept himself down the order in batting, either willingly or because of KK management.

In ODI cricket, Imad could still have gotten a chance in my opinion, he's reliable with the bat and better than Shadab in ODI batting.

To conclude, his bowling is one dimensional, and he doesn't bat enough, resulting in him being dropped. Nawaz isn't a saviour either, but he's worth giving a chance. If not Nawaz, then perhaps Zafar Gohar could be tested in ODI cricket.

[cricketAXEpert]

Mohammad Wasim speaking about why Imad was not selected and Nawaz preferred over him:

"Imad Wasim has some limitations which he needs to improve upon, because you cannot be a limited cricketer in any form of the game; You need to be ready for any scenario or situation - so when we compare both, Nawaz is the better option"

"Look we replaced Imad with Nawaz and the way he has performed, we will continue with Nawaz; He can bowl with the new ball, bowl in the middle overs, against left or right-handed batsman - he can handle any situation; The same applied to his batting where he can bat in any position or play the role in any slot"

The whole statement becomes a joke when he says that Nawaz is a better option.

[shamaan]

Look who is talking, Imad is playing international cricket T20 cricket fro 6 years and now Wasim found some limitations in him, on the other hand he picked another guy from Arya Mohalla who never played any club cricket and is now selected for all 3 formats , including test cricket.

Hes that good he didn't have to bowl and bat during psl his role was captaining the side

[Colorblind Genius]

I can't believe our fans are actually questioning wasim. For the first time in years we finally have a competent chief selector who's picking players on merit and not on favouritism and nepotism. Players who have actually performed in domestic are getting achieved call ups and those who've been given a prolonged chance and failed like Ifthikar, Khushdil, talat have all rightly been dropped.

Imad wasim averages 65 with the ball since 2019. His bowling has been ineffective and sheer garbage for a while. He was awful in the BBL too. He's rightly been dropped. He Is in the side as a bowling all rounder first and we simply Cannot afford to have 2 ineffective non wicket taking spinners in imad and shadab in the side together. Especially with the t20 world Cup being played on spin friendly tracks. Nawaz is a better bowler who actually bowls like a proper spinner who will be a much better option in the sun continent. Pair him with usman qadir and you have a genuine spin bowling attack capable of keeping it tight and taking wickets. Nawaz and qadir offer much more with the ball then imad and shadab have done in the past 2 years and that's a fact. Nawaz is also a very underrated batsman. I think he can be a proper batsman whereas imad is a big hitter. Nawaz is much fitter and the better fielder too. Why the uproar?????

A chief selector will clearly not make everyone happy but this is absolutely ridiculous the levels of criticism being thrown his way. Players are being selected on merit and actual performance and there is a great mix of performing players with youngsters and potential to give them some exposure to the international scene.

It's called future planning people, something you must do at the highest level. Wake up and smell the coffee for god sake and get your head out the clouds.

We need to get rid of underperforming senior pros like wahab malik ifthikhar etc who offer little to no future for us. Investing in youngsters, developing serious potential like Dhani, waseem jnr, Abdullah, saud, Arshad iqbal and Co for the future and rewarding domestic performers like nauman, tabish, Danish etc is the way forward. It keeps players motivated domestically.

Wasim is a breath of fresh air. If we can get in some competent coaches to replace misbah and waqar our results and performances will only go northwards. Be careful what you wish for, If wasim goes we will back to square 1, trust me.

I would be more than happy to give him a chance on face value, but please elaborate as to what exactly makes him a "competent selector" in years?
Is it some sort of specialist training and previous international level experience as a selector? Any specific certification? Any previous fanbase supporting him to be hired as the national selector? Really curious about it.

[Savak]

Are we also forgetting that Shadab had led the Northern side very well in the National T20 Cup and when Imad took over, the teams fortunes changed for the worst and in the final match for Northerns Imad promoted himself ahead of Shadab who was in very good form with the bat and cost his team badly with his ineffective batting

Mohd Wasim was also the head coach of the Northerns side therefore he had a very close look at things

[Babeikh]

Imad has shown promise throughout his career but I see him as a 'nearly man' - other than his knock against Afghanistan in the world cup, has he had any stand out performances?

Ok, not everybody has to have 'stand out' performances - some can be consistently decent and still be valuable members of the team but I still feel with Imad, he hasn't progressed to where he should have been by now.

A series or two out of the team can be good. It shows you who is prepared to work hard on their game and come back better and who spends the time whinging and feeling sorry for themselves and blaming others for their predicament. Let's hope the former is the case with Imad.

[Napa]

Haven't seen a lot of Imad's games, but did watch him bat against India in the last ODI WC. Thought he was the best Pakistan bat. Also, after Amir he was the most economical bowler.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/...full-scorecard

[IMMY69]

Imad has shown promise throughout his career but I see him as a 'nearly man' - other than his knock against Afghanistan in the world cup, has he had any stand out performances?

Ok, not everybody has to have 'stand out' performances - some can be consistently decent and still be valuable members of the team but I still feel with Imad, he hasn't progressed to where he should have been by now.

A series or two out of the team can be good. It shows you who is prepared to work hard on their game and come back better and who spends the time whinging and feeling sorry for themselves and blaming others for their predicament. Let's hope the former is the case with Imad.

Yes he has had many good performances batting very low down the order.

[Napa]

Imad has shown promise throughout his career but I see him as a 'nearly man' - other than his knock against Afghanistan in the world cup, has he had any stand out performances?

Ok, not everybody has to have 'stand out' performances - some can be consistently decent and still be valuable members of the team but I still feel with Imad, he hasn't progressed to where he should have been by now.

A series or two out of the team can be good. It shows you who is prepared to work hard on their game and come back better and who spends the time whinging and feeling sorry for themselves and blaming others for their predicament. Let's hope the former is the case with Imad.

While it is true that Imad should work hard and come back, like everyone else he is human. If he feels he was dropped unfairly, it will reduce his motivation. He may think “what is the point of me improving my game if I am going to miss out due to other reasons?”

[Babeikh]

While it is true that Imad should work hard and come back, like everyone else he is human. If he feels he was dropped unfairly, it will reduce his motivation. He may think “what is the point of me improving my game if I am going to miss out due to other reasons?”

Well I mean he has had a long fairly consistent run in the team and his performances recently have not been anything to write home about in ODIs and to be honest quite poor in T20s.

[moghul]

O yeah, with so many bowlers with absolutely no limitation what so ever, available in domestic cricket, why would Imad after playing international cricket for 5 years and has been top T20 bowler at one time, find a place in national T20 team