Imad Wasim to Miss Pakistan's T20 World Cup Opener Due to Side Strain

Pakistan's all-rounder Imad Wasim will miss the team's opening match of the T20 World Cup against the United States on Thursday due to a persistent side strain, according to captain Babar Azam. Azam stated that Wasim has not fully recovered from the injury and is under observation.

"The medical staff is monitoring him, and he will be available for the remaining matches in the World Cup," Azam told the media.

Wasim, a seasoned T20 specialist, was brought out of retirement two months ago in anticipation of the World Cup. The selectors believed his bowling style would be effective on the slow pitches in the Americas.

Along with Wasim, left-arm spinner Mohammed Amir was also selected for the ICC event, but both players have been used sparingly in the lead-up series against New Zealand, Ireland, and England.

"The pitches appear good for pace bowlers, and we have a very good pace attack, so the pitches seem good for us," said Azam.

Azam emphasized that the team has no issues with the facilities provided at the venues in the USA.

"It is okay. We have no complaints and have seen all this before. Not playing any warm-up games before our first match could have been a problem, but we have come here after playing some cricket. It is not an issue for us," he said.

Babar recently became the second batter after Virat Kohli to surpass the 4000-run mark in T20Is. Kohli leads the chart with 4037 runs, while Babar is a close second with 4023 runs.

However, the 29-year-old Lahore native stated that his focus is not on individual records but on playing according to the team's requirements and the match situation.

"We are here to try to win the World Cup. I am not here thinking about personal records. What matters is that the team does well and we succeed in winning the World Cup. We have learnt from our past mistakes," he added.

In a lighter vein, Babar said the pressure on him for tickets for the match against India was more than the match itself.

"They are so many people asking for tickets, the pressure is immense," he said with a smile.

Tags: #T20WorldCup, #PakistanCricket, #ImadWasim, #SideStrain, #BabarAzam