'Call me for headlines': Imad Wasim clarifies remarks on Sikandar Raza

Islamabad United all-rounder and former Pakistan international, Imad Wasim, has addressed the controversy surrounding his recent remarks about Lahore Qalandars’ star player Sikandar Raza and his last-minute arrival before the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 final.

Raza had temporarily left the Qalandars’ camp to represent Zimbabwe in a one-off Test against England in Nottingham. The match concluded late Saturday night (PST), sparking uncertainty over his availability for the PSL final.

Despite the tight schedule, Raza rejoined the Lahore Qalandars squad just moments before the toss and was ready to take the field in the high-stakes title clash against the table-topping Quetta Gladiators.

During an earlier interview, Imad was asked to describe Sikandar Raza in one word. Instead, he commented on the broader challenges of franchise cricket and the influence of financial incentives.

“Like Shoaib Akhtar said — money can do things for you,” Imad remarked. “If you're getting paid, you’ll go. I travel a lot too. Sometimes, one match ends, and the next day you’re playing another. I’ve traveled 24 hours straight and gone directly into a match. So yes, money can make different things happen.”

However, Imad’s remarks were widely interpreted as a swipe at Raza's commitment, prompting criticism on social and mainstream media.

In a follow-up interview on a local sports platform, the 36-year-old clarified his comments, stating they were taken out of context.

“The problem with our people and our media is they just put the headlines and they don’t know what’s happening so we were talking about give players money for security we were talking about domestic cricket and stuff on that show and then suddenly that comes up and I just said it in not that way that he’s here for the money, he’s not here for the money, he’s here for the passion as well, he’s here for his franchise, so there’s a lot of commitment you need to see in,” Imad said.

The 36-year-old expressed disappointment over the way his words were misinterpreted.

“I was telling people to be honest after that Sikandar Raza has got so much commitment and all the other players because they travel to play games every other day and which is not an easy job to do so people took it in a wrong way and they portrayed it like I said ‘for money you can do anything’ which is a fair point for money as well but the main point is I need to tell people that understand this that the life of cricketer is short and so tough," he said.

He clarified his stance and praised the player's dedication, highlighting the commitment and professionalism that often goes unnoticed.

"So when you sit on a TV channel and say that he did wrong he did this, he did that just understand his commitment, the professionalism these guys have it’s remarkable and that’s what I see in Sikandar Raza, so that was my thinking behind it and I don’t know why people put the headlines, if they need headlines they can call me I can give them headlines,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that Raza’s commitment paid off. He played a pivotal role in Lahore Qalandars’ triumphant campaign, helping them secure their third PSL title with a thrilling six-wicket win over Quetta Gladiators.

Chasing a challenging 202-run target, Lahore got off to a blazing start thanks to Mohammad Naeem’s explosive 47 off 27 balls, which included one four and six sixes. Abdullah Shafique added 41 off 28 deliveries before the run rate pressure mounted.

With the game slipping away, Sikandar Raza stepped up, striking crucial boundaries off Mohammad Amir to shift the momentum. Thisara Perera also shone, smashing a quick-fire fifty off 28 balls.

Needing 13 runs in the final over, Raza held his nerve, finishing the match with a four and a six, sealing victory with one ball remaining.