Imad Wasim

A Glamorgan-born Pakistani cricketer who had the dream of becoming a fast-bowler like Wasim Akram, but he went on to become a left-arm spinner, Syed Imad Wasim Haider is currently one of the best left-arm spinning all-rounders in world cricket and a T20 specialist across the globe. 

Wasim comes from a studious background and his parents wanted him to become a doctor but his affair with the game pushed him towards cricket. The all-rounder was selected for the Pakistan U19 team as the captain for the 2006 and 2008 editions of the World Cup and led them to glory in 2006. 

Wasim started playing the sport at the domestic level in Pakistan at a very young age. The all-rounder made his T20 debut back in January 2006 and got his maiden List-A cap in March. The youngster became a well-known entity in the domestic circuit, even before making his first-class debut. He debuted at the first-class level in January 2007 and had grinded himself for a long time for wearing Pakistan’s green jersey.

After a wait of 8 years, the all-rounder made his International debut during the historic Zimbabwe series, when international cricket returned to the country after six years. The experienced cricketer played his first T20I game against Zimbabwe in May 2015, at Lahore and got his ODI cap, two months later, against Sri Lanka, at Colombo. Since then, the all-rounder has been a regular in Pakistan’s limited-overs sides, but his Test debut is still awaited. 

The Swansea-born was Pakistan’s vital cog in their 2017 Champions Trophy triumph. Both Pakistan and the all-rounder had a similar start to the campaign, Wasim got bashed by Hardik Pandya in the opening match, while his national side got thrashed by the Indians. Although, as the tournament progressed, both Wasim and his team made a solid turnaround. Pakistan won four games on the trot and knocked India out in the final, where the all-rounder played an important part. 

Two years later, the all-rounder had a decent run in the 2019 World Cup as well. He scored 162 runs in his 5 outings, at an average of 54 with a 118.24 strike rate. The left-armer also chipped in wickets at crucial moments, that too at an economy of 4.82. 

Over the years, Wasim has earned a reputation of a T20 specialist and has represented various franchises all around the globe. The all-rounder has played in CPL, BBL, BPL, T20 Blast, and most importantly, he leads Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League. 

In April 2020, as per ICC, Imad Wasim was ranked third in the top ODI’s all-rounder category. The prolific all-rounder toured England during the global pandemic, as a part of Pakistan's T20I squad. 

In March 2021, the selectors dropped Wasim for the South Africa and Zimbabwe tours due to fitness concerns. Ex-players like Shoaib Akhtar have criticized PCB’s move. 

(As of March 2021)