World Cup 2019: Imad Wasim salutes teammate Wahab Riaz for powering Pakistan to victory against Afghanistan

Pakistan pulled off a last-gasp victory against Afghanistan at Headingley on Saturday after being cornered by the bottom-placed team in World Cup 2019. Requiring 229 to win the game crucial for their semi-final ambitions, Sarfaraz Ahmed’s side kept their cool to eventually overpower the Afghans with three wickets and two balls to spare. The southpaw Imad Wasim top scored with 49 not out in 54 balls to back his 2 for 48 to end up as the man of the match.

Afghanistan had Pakistan on the mat as they were left to score over 40 runs in around five overs. It was then that their captain Gulbadin Naib came to bowl an over and conceded 18 runs to put his side’s chances of winning their first game in this World Cup in jeopardy. Most of the runs came from Imad’s bat and despite cramps in his legs, he ensured a Pakistan victory that put them in the top four of the points table, something that seemed improbable a few weeks back.

Riaz’s efforts with broken finger impress Imad

However, the 30-year-old Imad was too modest and chose instead to salute one of his team-mates for producing a heroic performance to take Pakistan to victory. It was left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz. Attending the post-match press conference, he noted that Wahab took two wickets and scored a crucial 15-run knock towards the end with a broken little finger on his right hand. Riaz, who took 2 for 29 in eight overs, walked out with the bat with Pakistan needing 23 runs in 20 balls and played his cameo knock in nine balls and even hit a six off Rashid Khan to make it an easy sail for his team.

Imad said the veteran cricketer’s courage was truly inspiring and his all-round efforts meant that Pakistan were yet in the hunt for a semi-final spot, somewhere they had reached last in 2011. Riaz was not in Pakistan’s preliminary World Cup squad but was picked in place of Junaid Khan towards the end, keeping in mind his experience and skills.

“I will give credit to Wahab, he got bashed a lot but he played with a broken finger today. He bowled with it and then hit a crucial four and six which helped us win. Salute to him for doing so well for Pakistan,” PakPassion quoted Imad as saying. Riaz had also shown a similar display with the bat in the league game with Australia earlier in the World Cup though he couldn’t win it for his time that time.

Pakistan are now on nine points from eight games and will hope to beat Bangladesh in their final game and look to hosts England to lose both their remaining matches to make the semi-finals.