Tag: Imad Wasim

ISLAMABAD: Karachi Kings’ captain Imad Wasim hoped to continue the momentum achieved after the sensational win in the last game and earn a spot in the playoffs of the Pakistan Super League season 8. 

Talking to the media on Tuesday ahead of the Kings’ next PSL encounter against Peshawar Zalmi in Rawalpindi tomorrow, skipper Imad claimed that his side was playing a good brand of cricket overall and it was unfortunate that the team lost a few close-margin games.

“We are still in the competition,” he said, believing that the tournament would take a sharp turn if the Kings win their remaining four matches.

Commenting on his side’s strategy for the upcoming games in the event, he said, “We will try to cover those margins of two or three runs with our fielding.”

With the action now being shifted to Rawalpindi and Lahore after the conclusion of the Karachi-Multan leg of the PSL 8 where the Kings enjoyed overwhelming support from the home crowd, the skipper urged the people of the twin cities to show in numbers to support him and the team.

“This is my home ground,” he said about the Rawalpindi Stadium, adding, “conditions in the city are favourable for the batters and we always expect high-scoring games at this ground.”

Furthermore, the all-rounder lauded the youngster Tayyab Tahir for his match-defining half-century during the Kings’ 66-run victory over Multan Sultans on Sunday, saying it was unfortunate the side could not fit him in the earlier matches.

“I was always aware of his talent and knew that he was a top performer in domestic cricket.” he maintained.

“In fact, I used to tell him that you are just around the corner and whenever you get a chance just play the way you do in domestic.”

He also praised the emerging all-rounder Qasim Akram, calling him the future of Pakistan cricket.

“I am confident that Qasim will serve Pakistan in future,” he said.

“We could not play him just because we needed a hard-hitting option in the depth, so we thought Irfan Khan Niazi was more suitable for the role,” he added.

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KARACHI: Karachi Kings’ captain Imad Wasim told Sharjeel Khan and Haider Ali, who were left out of the team during Sunday’s clash against Multan Sultans, not to lose hope and remain prepared for the opportunity that may come at any time in the Pakistan Super League season 8 remainder.

Karachi Kings sealed a sensational 66-run win against Sultans in their final home game yesterday to avenge their earlier loss to the side on the latter’s home soil.

Following their sensational win, skipper Imad delivered a dressing room speech in which he congratulated his team for the amazing victory, and also lifted the confidence of the dispirited players in the squad.

“Please do not give up” he requested Haider and Sharjeel. “The team might need you at any moment so keep practising,” he added.

He also thanked young pacer Mohammad Musa for his efforts in the game despite not bowling a single over on a spin-friendly surface.

“I still believe this is a champion side,” said the skipper in his post-match address, adding “Amir is going to be back (in the team) so there will be a lot of players who will not play so thank you so much for your support”

Exclusive post match scenes from the Kings’ camp 💙❤️#KingsSquad | #MSvKK | #HBLPSL8 pic.twitter.com/TFFhVc4QQM

— Karachi Kings (@KarachiKingsARY) February 26, 2023

Dynamic opener Sharjeel was sidelined after the first three fixtures while uncapped Tayyab Tahir was given an opportunity in the side in place of Haider in the last game.

Tayyab proved his inclusion right with an astounding half-century on a tricky surface that saw Karachi Kings’ spinners dominating the Sultans’ batting lineup in the latter half of the game.

It is pertinent to mention here that the 2020 PSL Champions Kings will play Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi in their next encounter in Rawalpindi on March 1.

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KARACHI: Karachi Kings’ captain Imad Wasim expressed optimism to steer his team to the playoffs of the Pakistan Super League season 8 despite an undesired start in the tournament.

“We still have seven matches in our hand before the playoffs,” he said in a post-match media talk after Karachi Kings lost their third consecutive match of the PSL 8 on Saturday.

“Our focus now is to win our upcoming matches and make a comeback. Good teams make comebacks in tough times. We will try our best to qualify for playoffs.”

He revealed Karachi Kings’ desperate search for their first win in the tournament and an optimal team combination, saying once they get on the winning ways, their chances to qualify will automatically improve.

“We have matchwinners in the team, we just have to figure out a combination,” he said.

Earlier, Martin Guptill scripted a phenomenal comeback for the Quetta Gladiators as he made the first century of the PSL 8 to help Quetta Gladiators edge Karachi Kings by six runs.

“We leaked too many runs in the last overs,” said Imad while crediting Guptill for taking the game away from the Karachi Kings.

“We played poor cricket,” he accepted. “We made mistakes which cost us in all three matches. We played well in phases but couldn’t finish it off well,” he said.

When asked whether he was under pressure after consecutive defeats, Karachi Kings’ captain replied in negation and assured that he would not give up till the very last game.

Kings will next face arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars in a blockbuster clash on Sunday at National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi.

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KARACHI: Karachi Kings’ captain Imad Wasim expressed his hope for a winning start to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight, scheduled to commence today.

Kings’ captain Imad interacted with the media here on Monday, ahead of his side’s clash with Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi is eyeing a perfect start to his side’s campaign in this year’s extravaganza.

“We are confident of performing well against Peshawar Zalmi and will try to script a winning start to our PSL season 8 campaign,” said Imad.

The all-rounder further praised former Kings captain Babar and acknowledged that the latter had a lot of services for the team while also commenting that his statement regarding the trade of players should not be taken in a negative way.

“It doesn’t matter whether the players come or go. I think, my statement should not be taken in a negative context,” Imad requested.

“We will try to make combinations with the best players available as the PSL is very important for us,” he added.

The Kings’ captain further commented regarding his team’s ace pacer Mohammad Amir, who could not partake in the previous edition of the PSL due to injury, stating he will be a game-changer for the side.

“Amir suffered an injury in the last season which disturbed our combination and dented our campaign. But, I think, this time he’s fit and has been playing cricket all over the world so he will play a key role for us,” he stated.

It is pertinent to mention here that PSL season 8 will kick off on February 13 in Multan with a grand opening ceremony followed by the curtain-raiser between defending champions Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans.

The Kings, on the other hand, will play their first match on February 14 against Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi at National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi.

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LAHORE: Karachi Kings captain Imad Wasim asserted that his side had all the bases covered for the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League, saying they have more match winners this time rather than the players who play for personal records. 

Imad, who has previously captained Kings in four seasons and led his side to their maiden title win in the 2020 edition of the PSL, said their overseas pick for this year had been phenomenal, especially the addition of Mathew Wade gave the side a perfect balance.

“The reason to bring Mathew Wade is that he can bat at the top order and has the ability to finish the game as well. Plus he is a wicket-keeper which really benefits our team,” he said in the latest episode of PCB Podcast released on Tuesday.

The 2020 PSL-winning captain maintains that it does not matter how a team looks on paper, the only thing that matters is how you are going to play about it and play the right way the T20 should be played.

“This year we try to have more match winners rather than the players who play for personal goals” he added.

“PSL is one of the best leagues in the world, which is very close to our hearts. We wait for this league for 10 months during which we prepare, plan and set goals. Then, we enter into this great event to achieve our collective objectives, help our sides win and this cycle continues.”

Revealing his plans for the PSL season 8, Imad said, their idea was to aim one goal at a time.

“We will go step-by-step and match-by-match in this tournament with our first target being to secure a place in the playoffs.

“One of the best things about this PSL is we will have home matches. So, we are aiming to make the best use of our first five matches at home and build the momentum that can carry us into the play-offs.” he added.

“This year, every side is equally balanced and it is difficult to predict an outright winner. All sides boast some outstanding talent and they will enter the event with different combinations and strengths. This clearly reflects how the PSL has evolved and why it has now become an extremely challenging and exciting league.”

It is pertinent to mention here that the mega event will kick off in Multan on February 13 with a grand ceremony followed by the opening encounter between defending champions Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans.

Karachi Kings, however, will play their first match of PSL 8 against Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi on February 14 at National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi.

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KARACHI: All-rounder Imad Wasim has been named as the captain of the Karachi Kings for the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League, confirmed the franchise on Twitter.

“We are excited to announce Imad Wasim as our new captain. He will lead the Kings Squad in HPL PSL8,” tweeted Karachi Kings on Wednesday.

📢 We are excited to announce @simadwasim as our new captain. He will lead the #KingsSquad in #HBLPSL8

𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴! May you lead us to another title. 🙌#YehHaiKarachi pic.twitter.com/GAQAypsO76

— Karachi Kings (@KarachiKingsARY) December 14, 2022

The star all-rounder Imad has previously captained Kings in four seasons and led his side to their maiden title win in the 2020 edition of the PSL.

The much-awaited players’ draft for the next year’s edition of the PSL will be held in Karachi on December 15.

The Pakistan Cricket Board had already revealed the pick order for the drafts, where defending champions Lahore Qalandars will make the first pick followed by  Quetta Gladiators and 2021 champions Multan Sultans.

The marquee tournament is slated to take place next year from February 9 to March 19 with Karachi, Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi selected as host venues for the eighth edition of PSL.

The champions of the 2020 edition, Karachi Kings will make the fourth pick, while two-time champions Islamabad United will have the fifth pick.

The 2017 champions Peshawar Zalmi, on the other hand, will make the last pick in the draft.

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PROVIDENCE: Jamaica Tallawahs – featuring the Pakistani duo of Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim – thrashed Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2022 final to lift their third title.

Set to chase a commendable 162 in the final, the Tallawahs comfortably steered to the glory in the 17th over with eight wickets to spare, thanks to a magnificent half-century from Brandon King.

The side, however, had a poor start to their run chase as they lost their opener, Kennar Lewis, for a duck at a combined score of a mere one.

Shamarh Brooks and King then put on a match-defining 86-run partnership for the second wicket and scored at a rapid pace.

The pair appeared solid and were looking confident to run away with the victory before experienced all-rounder Jason Holder struck in the 11th over to break the important partnership.

Holder trapped Brooks with a half-volley as he ended up flicking the ball straight to the deep square leg fielder before walking back to the pavilion after scoring 47 off 33 deliveries with the help of six boundaries and two sixes.

Brooks’ dismissal did not bother King much as he continued his domination over the Royals’ bowlers and carried on the winning momentum.

The right-handed top scored for his side with an unbeaten knock of 83 off just 50 balls, laced with 13 boundaries and two sixes, while skipper Rovman Powell scored an unbeaten 14 and made sure to firm one end.

For the Royals, Kyle Mayers and Holder managed to make one scalp each.

Batting first after winning the toss, the Royals could manage to finish at 161/7 in the allotted 20 overs despite an anchoring half-century from wicketkeeper batter Azam Khan.

Royals’ openers Rakheem Cornwall and Mayers gave a solid start to the side as they amassed 63 runs in the powerplay.

Fabian Allen, however, removed both the openers in his consecutive overs to shift the momentum in the Tallawahs’ favour.

Following the slump, Azam and Holder joined hands to script a much-needed recovery and added 48 runs for the third wicket.

The partnership remained heavily dominated by Azam but Holder, on the other hand, was too cautious before departing in the 15th over after scoring a snail-paced 17.

The Royals then began to lose wickets at an alarming rate as Nicholson Gordon triggered a lower-order collapse and halted the side from amassing a massive total.

Azam top-scored for Royals with 50 off 41 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and three sixes.

Allen and Gordon bagged three wickets each for Tallawahs in the final, while Imad struck out a batter.

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KARACHI: Pakistan all-rounder, Imad Wasim lashed out at the selectors of the national men’s team and stated that they should tell him if they don’t like his face.

Speaking to Pak Passion.net, Imad, who last represented Pakistan in an international match in November 2021, expressed his disappointment at not being picked for the national side, while also holding the selectors accountable for the justification for his exclusion from the international setup.

“I am very disappointed by this and my feelings on this stem from the fact that I have performed so well for Pakistan and have not been picked for the team for a while now,” Imad told Pak Passion.net.

“Well if they don’t like my face, they should be brave enough to say it and I will be fine with that! Seriously though, not selecting someone for the Pakistan team because of personal dislike is not only unfair to the player and his career but it’s also a disservice to our country as it’s being deprived of the services of a good player. Such actions will eventually cost the country dearly and I urge the selectors to not think of personal likes and dislikes for players when selecting squads,” he added.

The 33-year-old all-rounder, Imad, then sought justification from the chief selector of the national men’s team Mohammad Wasim and asked him to explain what the latter exactly means by performances which are below par.

“It’s for him [Wasim] to explain exactly what he means by performances which are below par. Are these recent matches he is referring to? Or is he speaking about the past where my performances have not been up to the mark? My performances are out there for all to see whether they are in the domestic One-Day Cup or in the Pakistan Super League,” Imad said.

“I was an integral part of the team and did not perform badly and that must count for something. Previous to that, I was part of the Pakistan side where I performed well and in which we went all the way through to the Semi-Final stage of the T20 World Cup in the UAE. Anyone who makes claims like these needs to back them with facts and it’s really up to Mohammad Wasim to explain his reasoning with examples,” he added.

Imad continued by offering his opinion on chief selector Wasim’s claims that the latter’s fitness was subpar while asserting that the players with worse fitness than him got selected.

“I don’t have an issue with this statement from the Chief Selector as long as there is a specific fitness criteria which is being followed consistently for selection purposes. But what we see are players with worse fitness than me being selected which tells me that questions about my fitness are just talk,” Imad shared.

“Everyone knows what’s happening here and it seems that all these issues such as fitness have been put out there to provide some sort of justification to keep me out of the side. If they do have a proper answer to what I am saying, then I would love to hear that, and they can speak to me about it,” he maintained.

It is pertinent to mention here that Imad represented Pakistan in 113 matches since making his debut for the Green Shirts in 2015. The all-rounder, however, last donned the Pakistani jersey in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 semi-final clash against Australia.

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KARACHI: Pakistan all-rounder, Imad Wasim, who has not been a part of the national side following the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, has sought justification for his exclusion.

Speaking to Cricket Pakistan, the all-rounder claimed that he is clueless about his exclusion from the national team as no justification has been provided to him.

“I have not played a single match since the World Cup. I don’t know the reason behind this, to be honest,” Imad told Cricket Pakistan.

“No justification has been provided to me, and reasons are given to me, but I am unsatisfied with them. But whatever happens, happens because it is Almighty’s will,” he maintained.

Imad then went on to reveal the reasons given to him for his exclusion from the team, while at the same rubbished them.

“After the contracts and the teams are announced, I have to contact on my own to find out the reasons. Sometimes they respond, sometimes they don’t,” Imad revealed.

“One reason given to me was regarding the positive influence on the team. I don’t think I have a negative influence. I play leagues all around the world, and whenever I play for one team, they approach me again, which shows that I don’t have a negative influence. This nullifies their first reason for not selecting me,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that Imad represented Pakistan in 113 matches since making his debut for the Green Shirts in 2015. The all-rounder, however, last donned the Pakistani jersey in the semi-final clash against Australia.

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KARACHI: Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir and all-rounder Imad Wasim will represent Jamaica Tallawahs in the forthcoming Caribbean Premier League 2022, scheduled to commence on August 31.

The league will feature four Pakistan players including Imad, Amir, Azam Khan, and Qasim Akram.

The left-arm pacer Amir, who represented Barbados Royal in the previous season, will be joining countrymate all-rounder Imad in Jamaica Tallawahs as the latter has been retained by the franchise.

Explosive wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan will represent Barbados Royal in the second consecutive season, having made his debut for the team in 2021.

Meanwhile, young all-rounder Qasim Akram will represent St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the forthcoming season and will be acting as the substitute for Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who will be unavailable to the team for the first few matches.

The league, which features six teams, will commence on August 31, while the final will be contested on September 30.

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