Imad Wasim gives no-nonsense statement on Pakistan captaincy
The Swansea-born 55 ODIs and 66 T20Is over the course of his career for Pakistan
All-rounder Imad Wasim opened up about the captaincy debate surrounding the Pakistan national team in an interview on Saturday.
Earlier this year, Wasim was among the top contenders for the role of vice-captaincy, in place of Shadab Khan, for the home series against New Zealand.
"Only controllable things should be controlled, and things that are out of your control, out of your hands; you shouldn't be thinking about it. Neither selection is in my control, nor is captaincy, and so are the performances, so I don't really think about it. I go day by day and enjoy my life,” Wasim told a local cricket website.
“Moreover, I take pride in playing [for Pakistan]. Irrespective of whether it is league cricket or national cricket, I play with passion. Passion is important, but pride and dignity are even more essential. So, I always keep this in my mind,” he added.
Wasim also shed light on his inclusion in Pakistan’s squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup in India later this year.
"If truth be told, neither I fret over this [World Cup] selection too much nor am I thinking about it right now. It is straightforward, whatever they decide, they decide. Nonetheless, I will be available at that point in time. There's nothing better than serving Pakistan. So, if anything happens, more than welcome, but I honestly don't beat my head over selection because this is something that isn't in my control nor I can control it," he said.
He also spoke about playing under the captaincy of Babar Azam.
"When you play for the country, you keep other elements aside, and this is exactly what we did. We kept everything aside. Needless to say, he [Babar] is the captain of Pakistan's team, and I was rather playing as a player. This mutual respect between us has always been there, and it is still there. And when you play for the country, you are obliged to leave all of these things behind," he said.
The Swansea-born 55 ODIs and 66 T20Is over the course of his career for Pakistan since making his international debut in 2015.
