13 lesser known facts about Imad Wasim- An exciting talent

Imad Wasim is the name of that Pakistani left-arm spinner who shot to fame after his heroics against Zimbabwe in the 1st T20I match in May, 2015. Wasim relies heavily on spin but has the ability to drift the ball as well which he uses to deceive the batters. Those who have seen him since his early days in cricket regard him as a natural leader due to his self-belief which is ever so evident in the way he carries himself on the field as well. He seems to be a mouth-watering prospect for the Pakistani side indeed. Till now, he has played 14 ODI matches and has bagged 19 wickets while in 15 T20I matches he has 21 wickets to his credit.

Today, let’s have a look at 13 lesser known facts about Imad Wasim- An exciting talent:

1. Birth:

Imad Wasim was born on 18 December, 1988 in Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales. Imad Wasim also holds a British passport.

2. First Welsh-born cricketer to represent Pakistan:

Imad Wasim moved to Pakistan at a very young age. Imad Wasim is the first Welsh-born cricketer to represent Pakistan in international cricket.

3. List-A debut:

In 2006, Imad Wasim made his List-A debut for Islamabad Leopards against Karachi Dolphins. Imad Wasim had a decent outing with the white cherry in hand. The left-arm spinner ended up with figures of 2/31 in the match.

4. First-Class debut:

In January 2007, Imad Wasim made his First-Class debut for Islamabad against Quetta in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Though with the ball, Imad Wasim took only two wickets in the match but it was his enterprising innings of 88 runs with the willow in hand which earned him many accolades.

5. Under-19 World Cup 2006:

Imad Wasim was part of the Pakistan team which emerged as the winner of the Under-19 World Cup in 2006. Imad Wasim was one of the crucial members of the Pakistani side.

6. Captaincy stint:

In July 2007, Imad Wasim was appointed as the skipper of the Under-19 team. And Imad Wasim didn’t disappoint as well. In the Youth Tests, Pakistan ended up with a score line of 1-1. Under his captaincy, Pakistan defeated England by 3-1 in the One-Dayers held in UK. After that series he led his side to a comprehensive series win against Australia as well in the One-Dayers hosted by Pakistan. He was the protagonist for his side as he bagged 12 wickets in the series. Wasim followed it up with an exemplary performance against Bangladesh and claimed 12 wickets against them but was unable to lead his side to a series win.

7. Under-19 World Cup 2008:

Imad Wasim had a successful stint as a skipper in the Under-19 World Cup 2008 as well. Though Pakistan was unable to defend its title but yet it reached the Semi-Finals of the World Cup.

8. Role Model:

Though Imad Wasim is not infatuated to ditto anyone in cricket but yet he idolizes Wasim Akram and wants to be an all-rounder.

9. Medicine:

Imad Wasim has found his feet in professional cricket but if he was not a cricketer then he would have pursued a career in the field of medicine.

10. International Debut:

The Pakistani left-arm spinner made his international debut against Zimbabwe in the T20I series played in Pakistan. It was in the 2nd and final T20I match of the series that he made his first appearance in Pakistani colours. He got to bowl only 2 overs in the match in which he conceded 14 runs.

11. Impressive ODI debut:

Imad Wasim made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo and ended up with impressive figures of 2/28. His first ODI scalp was the Sri Lankan middle-order batter, Dinesh Chandimal. Overall, he played 3 matches in the series and took 3 wickets at a miserly economy of 4.85

12. Most Memorable outing:

Imad Wasim’s most memorable outing in Pakistan jersey came against Zimbabwe in the 1st T20I match of the ongoing T20I series in the African nation. Imad Wasim claimed 4 wickets and bowled a very tight spell in the match. His economy rate was 2.75. Imad Wasim’s match winning spell included crucial wickets of Masakadza, Chibhabha, Raza and Williams. He had also played a 12 ball 19 run cameo with the bat. Imad Wasim was adjudged the Player-of-the-Match.

13. Domestic Career in numbers:

Imad Wasim has played 74 First-Class matches and has taken 138 wickets while with the bat he has amassed 3,619 runs at an average of 41.59. In List-A cricket, the 28-year-old has featured in 63 matches and has taken 79 wickets at an economy rate of 4.57. While in 76 T20 matches, he has claimed 74 wickets and averages 19 with the bat in hand.

(All Stats Updated Till 18th December 2016)