Imad Wasim claims his warnings about Pakistan cricket were laughed off

Former Pakistan all-rounder, Imad Wasim, has made startling claims regarding the Pakistan cricket team’s approach to modern-day cricket. The 36-year-old, who retired after representing Pakistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last year, expressed his frustration with the team’s failure to adapt to the evolving game.

Imad, known for his outspoken views on cricket, revealed that his warnings about the outdated approach of Pakistan cricket were often laughed off by his fellow cricketers and team management.

“I’ve been saying this for years, and people laughed at me,” Imad Wasim said. 

“Even in team meetings, I pointed out that the world is going on a different path, and we’re still playing the same way,” he added. 

His comments come after Pakistan's disappointing performance in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, where they failed to win a single match. The hosts, who were also the defending champions, lost their first two games to New Zealand and India. Their final group-stage match against Bangladesh was washed out due to rain.

Reflecting on the team's performance, Imad admitted that he had little interest in watching Pakistan's matches in the tournament because of the team's outdated tactics.

“I just did not want to watch,” he said. 

“But I had to watch. Look, the people will lose interest eventually. They won’t come and watch cricket if we play like this,” he added. 

Imad emphasized the need for Pakistan to modernize their cricket and adopt a more aggressive approach, similar to that of teams like England and Australia. He stated that the team’s first instinct should be to attack the opposition, rather than play conservatively and aim for a set score.

“You should play cricket like it should be played. This is not the right way. If you ask me as a cricketer, I watched some of the games of the Pakistan team [in the Champions Trophy] and I felt I just did not want to watch," Imad said.

He continued, “So you see England, Australia or cricket I can understand the solution I'm telling you I can understand. Your first instinct should be to go out there and attack the opposition. And if you lose wickets, then you assess the conditions, okay, this is a 250, 260, 300 wicket, whatever. But your first instinct should just be to go out there and attack, not to think, 'Let's score 250.' We are way behind where the world is."