Imad Wasim announces retirement from international cricket
Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim announced on Friday that he would be retiring from international cricket.
“In recent days, I have been doing a lot of thinking about my international career and I have come to the conclusion that now is the right time for me to announce my retirement from international cricket,” the 34-year-old said in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Wasim thanked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for their support over the years, adding, “It has truly been an honour to represent Pakistan”.
“Each of my 121 appearances across the one-day international (ODI) and T20 formats was a dream come true,” he said.
“It’s an exciting time for Pakistan cricket going forward with new coaches and incoming leadership,” Wasim said, adding that he was looking forward to seeing the team excel.
“I now look forward to focusing on the next stage of my playing career away from the international stage,” he said.
The PCB responded to Wasim’s post on X, thanking him for his “services to Pakistan cricket over the years”.
“Wishing you all the best for your future endeavours,” the PCB said.
“Imad Wasim has been a valuable asset to Pakistan cricket. His performances, especially in white-ball cricket, have been crucial to the team’s success. While we respect his decision to retire, we will miss his presence on the field.
“On behalf of the PCB and its management committee, I extend our sincere thanks to Imad for his services to Pakistan cricket and wish him the very best in his future endeavours.”
A separate press release issued by the board quoted PCB Interim Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf as saying that Wasim had been a “valuable asset to Pakistan cricket”.
“His performances, especially in white-ball cricket, have been crucial to the team’s success. While we respect his decision to retire, we will miss his presence on the field,” Ashraf said.
“On behalf of the PCB and its management committee, I extend our sincere thanks to Imad for his services to Pakistan cricket and wish him the very best in his future endeavours,” he added.
Wasim made his international debut in May 2015 against Zimbabwe and went on to represent Pakistan in 55 ODIs and 66 T20Is. He took 109 wickets and scored 1,472 runs in his international career.
Wasim’s announcement comes amid an overhaul of Pakistan cricket in the aftermath of disastrous World Cup campaign. Last week, Babar Azam quit the national team’s leadership in all three formats.
Subsequently, the PCB appointed opener Shan Masood as Test captain, gave pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi the T20 reins, and replaced team director Mickey Arthur with former captain Mohammad Hafeez while former fast bowler Wahab Riaz was appointed as the chief selector.
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