Imad Wasim rises to the occasion as Islamabad United lift third PSL title
Cricket
Imad Wasim named player of the match in the final
By Anees-ur-Rehman
There is no substitute for experience. This seems more so in sports, especially cricket. This aphorism can be borne out by the recent performance of Islamabad United’s 35-year-old all-rounder Imad Wasim who rose to the occasion and guided his side to the third Pakistan Super League (PSL) crown.
Islamabad United defeated Multan Sultans by two wickets in the last-ball thriller (final) - the eighth match that went down to the wire this season.
After clinching the PSL 9 trophy, Islamabad United also became the first team to win the third PSL title. They also managed to keep the 100 percent winning record in the finals. Whenever they reached the final, they won it. Previously they lifted the PSL trophies in 2016 and 2018.
Captain Shadab Khan led from the front and played a vital role in United’s victory with his all-round performance. He scored 305 runs with an average of 43.42 while taking 14 wickets in the PSL 9. He was named player of the tournament.
But it was Imad Wasim who outperformed others in the must-win games in the latter stage of the tournament.
Imad Wasim is a talented cricketer known for his left-arm spin bowling and handy lower-order batting. He showcased his talent by taking the five-wicket haul in the thriller, becoming the first player to do so in the PSL final.
His record-breaking performance commenced with the dismissal of Yasir Khan and David Willey within his initial over. He showcased his bowling prowess further by claiming the wickets of Khushdil Shah, Johnson Charles, and Chris Jordan.
When it comes to batting, he played a responsible innings of 19 runs, guiding his side over the line.
He was awarded player of the match award for his brilliant all-round performance.
This is not the first time the left-handed all-rounder contributed to the success of the team when it needed the most.
In a must-win game to qualify for the playoffs, Imad scored unbeaten 30 of just 13 balls against Multan Sultan and helped his team chase down a mammoth total of 229 runs.
In Eliminator 1, he returned with figures of 3/12 against Quetta Gladiators and helped his side advance in the tournament.
In Eliminator 2, he scored unbeaten 59 runs off 40 balls while chasing 186 runs. At one stage the PSL champions were struggling at 50/4, but thanks to the timely knock of the left-handed batsman, his side achieved the target with five wickets and one over to spare.
He was also named player of the match for both the eliminators as well.
Overall he took 12 wickets at an economy rate of 6.60, while scoring 126 runs in the tournament.
Speaking to Ramiz Raja after receiving the man of the match award in the final, Imad said, “I wasn't feeling it would be my best ever tournament but wanted to make an impact but glad it went so well for me. I've done it on quite a few occasions in batting but to pick fiver in a final and to stay in during a crucial game, it was a new experience but I have learned from it that we should have finished the game earlier rather than taking it down the wire, glad Hunain finished it. I think I'm happy playing cricket, I'm fit and trying to contribute as much as possible/ I've four-five years of cricket left in me.”
Will Imad make it to the Pakistan team for the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in the US and West Indies in June this year? Time will tell.
However, former Australian star batsman and PSL commentator Michael Clarke said, “Imad is my Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the finals. If he is not playing for Pakistan in the T20 World Cup, there is something seriously wrong.”
Former Pakistani cricketer Urooj Mumtaz said, “It would be unfair if he is not included in the national team for the world cup.”
Imad should be given one more chance to represent his country because of his red-hot form, she added.
