Sarfaraz Ahmed asked Pakistan team to make strong comeback after India loss, reveals Imad Wasim

Pakistan were left with a mixed feeling after they failed to make the semi-final of the 2019 Cricket World Cup. While they won four matches on the trot to end their league campaign, yet they could not book a place in the last four since they lost out in the net run-rate to New Zealand. The Pakistan World Cup squad was back home on Sunday and their players addressed a couple of press conferences. While captain Sarfaraz Ahmed met the media persons in Karachi, others like Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan did the same in Islamabad.

Imad, who had a decent outing the World Cup with three 40s, denied during his address to the media that there are groupings in the Pakistan side. He said that he wouldn’t have got to play had there been factions and said the players represented one team. He also rubbished allegations that Sarfaraz’s captaincy was facing a rebellion and said even if there were minor disagreements on the ground, it was their duty to stand behind the captain.

Imad also said during the press conference he attended on Monday that it was the captain who had asked the team to make a strong comeback after they lost to India at Old Trafford. Pakistan lost the game on June 16 by 89 runs via DLS Method and for the next one week, they went through horror as fans, former players and media blasted them brutally. It was after that loss that Pakistan made quick amends and beat South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan and Bangladesh in consecutive games.

Imad said after the loss in Manchester, Sarfaraz called a team meeting where he asked it to make a strong comeback.
“All other players also gave their input in the meeting,” he was quoted as saying by geo.tv.

Pakistan performance not satisfactory feels Imad

However, there was one aspect over which Imad agreed to disagree with Sarfaraz. While the wicketkeeper-batsman felt that Pakistan did not do too badly as they gathered 11 points out of a possible 18 and was knocked out of the tournament only because of a poorer net run-rate. Imad, on the contrary, felt that Pakistan’s World Cup performance was unsatisfactory since they could not make it to the semis.

“In my opinion, if you don’t win the World Cup, you have to at least reach the final or semis, so this was not satisfactory,” he said.

Also read – Sarfaraz Ahmed not worried despite an ordinary World Cup for Fakhar Zaman

Reflecting on their defeat against the arch-rivals, Imad said they had given their best but it was India’s day.