Imad Wasim regrets missed opportunity in T20 World Cup clash against India

Former Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim has opened up about his struggling innings against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and the criticism he faced afterward.  

In the high-pressure match at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, India batted first and set a target of 120 runs on a difficult pitch. Pakistan started well but ended up losing the match by six runs.  

Imad, who came out of retirement to play in the World Cup, walked in to bat at number five when Pakistan was at 73/3 in 12.2 overs. The team needed 47 runs from 46 balls at that point. However, he struggled against India's strong bowling attack, scoring only 15 runs off 23 balls.  

Talking about the match, Imad recalled how much criticism he received after his slow innings.  

"When I scored 15 runs off 23 balls (against India), after that, the amount of bashing I got, I felt like I’d never done anything in my life. I tried my best, I really apologized in front of the team and management," he said.  

This was not the first time Imad spoke about that innings. He had earlier explained that his plan was to take the match deep, but he was unable to execute it properly.  

"The plan was to take it deep, but unfortunately I could not execute. India also bowled very well; there were no bad balls. The 17th over, where I could not get runs, was the turning point. I let the team down. There is regret, but this is life," he had said.  

After Pakistan was eliminated in the group stage of the T20 World Cup, Imad retired from international cricket again in December 2024.