Imam clarifies contentious remarks about Sarfaraz’s Sindh

Balochistan opener Imamul Haq has clarified his contentious remarks about Sarfaraz Ahmed-led Sindh team, during their Quaid-e-Azam (QeA) Trophy match at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi.

Imam, who has featured in 10 Tests, 36 One-day Internationals (ODIs) and one Twenty20 International (T20I) for Pakistan over the course of his brief career so far, told Sarfaraz that his remarks were taken out of context and this was not something he intended to say.  

According to sources, Imam met the Pakistan captain after the end of the match on Tuesday inorder to sort out the matter. The duo were, later, seen roaming outside the dressing room, which indicated that “All is well”.

Earlier, the left-hander had accused their opponents of negative tactics, during a press conference, after the conclusion of the third day’s play.

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Balochistan took 98 overs to score just 191 runs, during the penultimate day of the match, but Imam believed that this was more due to the negative bowling of their opponents rather than their slow batting.    

After tea, they [Sindh's bowlers] started bowling negative,” said Imam while responding to a question about team’s slow run-rate. “Our captain [Haris Sohail] was already dismissed, and if I had approached the game recklessly, it would have put our team under pressure.

He added: “They had set a negative field and started bowling negative to avoid conceding the bonus points. The umpire even signalled a few wides; such was the extent of their negative lines.”

Imam played a knock of 152 runs during the drawn encounter. He faced 352 deliveries during his 514 minutes of stay at the crease, which included 18 fours.