Pakistan All-Rounder Imad Wasim Announces Retirement from International Cricket

Islamabad: Pakistani all-rounder Imad Wasim has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to an eight-year career with the national team. The left-arm spinner and lower-order batter took to social media to make the official declaration. The left-arm spinner and lower-order batter featured in 55 ODIs and 66 T20Is for Pakistan. His last appearance for the national team was in April this year during a T20I against New Zealand in Rawalpindi.

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— Imad Wasim (@simadwasim) November 24, 2023

Expressing gratitude to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for their unwavering support, Imad acknowledged the honour of representing his country in 121 international appearances. The 34-year-old, a key figure in Pakistan’s Under-19 World Cup victory in 2006, waited until 2015 for his T20I debut against Zimbabwe in Lahore. Notably, he led Pakistan in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup.

Imad’s international career highlights include captaining Pakistan in two ODIs against Australia in 2019. In ODIs, he scalped 44 wickets and amassed 986 runs, while in T20Is, he claimed 65 wickets and scored 486 runs. His best performance with the ball, incidentally, is identical in both formats – 5 for 14.

Looking ahead, Imad, currently part of Karachi Kings’ PSL roster, expressed excitement for Pakistan cricket’s future with new coaching and leadership. His retirement marks a shift to the next phase of his playing career outside the international arena.

Born in Wales, Imad played early cricket in the UK and has been a regular in various T20 leagues worldwide, including the Hundred, CPL, LPL and the English county circuit.