"I was surprised", Imad Wasim on Babar Azam's reappointment as Pakistan captain

Imad Wasim revealed that many in Pakistan were equally taken aback by the PCB’s decision

PHOTO: AFP

Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim has expressed his surprise over Babar Azam's reappointment as captain of Pakistan’s white-ball teams ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies.

Babar had stepped down from the role following Pakistan’s disappointing 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, where the captaincy was handed to Shaheen Afridi. However, after just six months, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reversed its decision following the New Zealand series and reinstated Babar as captain.

Speaking in an interview with a local sports platform, Imad Wasim revealed that many in Pakistan were equally taken aback by the PCB’s decision.

“Yes, I was surprised,” Imad admitted when asked about Babar’s return to captaincy after the brief break. “What can I say, it’s ultimately the selector’s call. Whatever they thought was the best option, they picked and they picked the team [accordingly].”

“Everybody in Pakistan was surprised, not just me. So, I can’t say no that I was not surprised,” he added.

Pakistan’s 2024 T20 World Cup campaign proved to be a disappointment as the team failed to make it past the group stages, suffering a shocking loss to the USA and a defeat by arch-rivals India.

Reflecting on the team's poor showing, the all-rounder said, "Yeah, our performance wasn't up to the mark to be honest and we have to accept that, including myself. So yeah, but it is what it is. I think we had a good side, but it didn't click. It can happen in any format, especially T20. But yeah, it was disappointing. I was really disappointed."

"It took me a long time to get over it," he concluded.

It is worth noting that Pakistan’s next assignment will be a white-ball series against Australia in November.

ODI series schedule: