All-rounder Imad Wasim has blamed the mindset of the current Pakistan cricketers for not being able to compete against the top teams of the world. The 35-year-old all-rounder, who came out of retirement for the T20 World Cup 2024 bats for a total reset in the way Pakistan play their white-ball cricket.
“I’m giving my personal opinion so don’t make these the headlines. It’s all your mindset. What mindset do you want to play the game with? You either play fire with fire, or you play your way,” Imad told reporters in Lauderhill ahead of Pakistan’s last match against Ireland in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
“I personally believe that you should play fire with fire. And even if you lose, you can sit down and say to yourself that on that day we were not good enough,” he said.
Change in the mindset
Imad Wasim blamed players’ fear of failure for not being able to compete against the top teams of the world.
“The problem is our team is so good, our players are so good, that we are good enough to play any kind of cricket. We haven’t tried that but the thing is you have to try that, you have to get rid of the fear of failure. In everything – batting, bowling, fielding, you have to get rid of fear of failure.
“Personnel change doesn’t change anything, just changing the mindset can change a lot of things. The same ball can be hit for a six, a four, a single, and that same ball can take a wicket and be a dot ball.
“Personnel change doesn’t change anything, just changing the mindset can change a lot of things. The same ball can be hit for a six, a four, or a single, and that same ball can take a wicket and be a dot ball.
“We compete with the world’s best teams. Their mindset has changed over time. We used to rule in T20 cricket. I think we have moved back a little now.
“Maybe our mindset needs a change in all three areas. I won’t say any one area. If you change the mind of the player, you can achieve things beyond your limits.
“I always believe in this. You can talk a lot, but it is what it is – today, we are out of the tournament and whatever happens in the next World Cup, whoever plays, however they play, I think if we go with the right approach, the results will be better for us.”
Wasim admits the team is devastated by the team’s dismal show in the World Cup.
“Me personally and our team, including me, are very disappointed and sad,” he said.
“And the whole public is sad that we didn’t perform well and believes we are guilty. We are more disappointed than you are. This is our profession after all.
“But I would also like to say that we are human beings, we can make mistakes and we also get affected by these things.”
On his batting against India
Imad, who has been severely criticised for his batting approach against their arch-rivals in the run chase accepted that the loss to India would haunt him forever.
“The game plan was to take the ball deep. The wicket was not good to play. It was a little difficult. Unfortunately, my plan was going according to plan but not execution,” he said.
“Because usually when I bat, I take the ball deep. And if I hit any boundary on either end, the game would have been different. Having said that, he [Axar] did very well in bowling and he did it on the spot. He didn’t bowl too badly. Usually, under pressure, bowlers give you a ball and there is a margin. But I think I was taking the game deep and I was hoping that a new batsman would come and for that it is virtually impossible. But Naseem hit two good shots.
“That 17th over, I think, I feel that the move of the runs in that over was a turning point. It’s unfortunate that it happens, it’s an incident but it was a big game. Our team and I are more disappointed than you are. I let [the team] down because usually when I go in this situation, I am very calm and finish the job. And this was my job to finish which I couldn’t do. I will regret this and I still regret it. But this is life. Sometimes you make mistakes. But life is like that, sometimes you make mistakes. So, you can say that this was a phase in my life which I unfortunately could not achieve. I will regret it, but my execution was not good.”
On criticism from ex-cricketers
Imad, who as a TV analyst used to criticise Pakistan cricketers says his scathing cricket analysis was the need of the hour.
“I have always talked about cricket as an analyst. I have never talked about players individually or body-shamed anyone or anything like that. Cricketers have to do their job and analyse the cricket. They have to tell you what is right and what is wrong without getting personal,” he said.
“I think we should play the game the way world cricket is going. We should sort out the way we play the game, the way we should bring awareness, the way we should chase, the way we should approach the game. We will sit and sort out our approach. Other teams also go out in early stages, but I don’t think Pakistan have exited this way. We are extremely disappointed.
“But is it all about how you react after the fall? This is bad but who knows this could be big for Pakistan? We could revamp, revisit and start playing white-ball cricket the way it should be played.”