Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim is conspicuously absent from the playing XI for their 2024 T20 World Cup clash against the United States of America (USA) at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday, June 6. This match marks the start of Pakistan’s Group B campaign in the tournament.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam announced during the pre-match press conference that Imad Wasim would miss the opener due to a side strain. This injury had also sidelined him for the final T20I in the recent series against England.
As a result, Imad Wasim was not listed in the team sheet as Pakistan were put into bat first by USA skipper Monank Patel.
“We would have also bowled first. It is a morning match, the pitch is fresh, and we will look to put the runs on the board. Good to see the sun is out; we haven’t seen sunshine for the last 3-4 days. He (Imad) has an injury, but we will cover it up by playing the four fast bowlers,” Babar Azam said during the toss.
Imad is expected to recover in time for the highly anticipated match against India on Sunday, June 9, in New York and could be available for the remaining fixtures. The all-rounder had come out of international retirement and was selected for the 2024 T20 World Cup, marking his return in a home series against New Zealand a few months ago.
Pakistan’s Bowling Attack Without Imad Wasim
As Babar mentioned during the toss, Pakistan has opted for a pace-heavy bowling attack. The team features all four of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, and Haris Rauf. In the spin department, Shadab Khan stands as the lone frontline option, but Iftikhar Ahmed’s part-time off-spin can be utilized if needed.
Regarding the rest of the playing XI, Pakistan has included Azam Khan despite recent criticisms. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will continue to open the batting, with Usman Khan and Fakhar Zaman forming the backbone of the batting unit.
This lineup showcases Pakistan’s strategy to leverage their pace attack heavily, aiming to cover the absence of their key all-rounder and set a strong tone for their World Cup campaign.
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