Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim celebrates his 32nd birthday on Friday (December 18) and social media is filled with wishes. Born in Glamorgan, England, Wasim’s cricketing journey is indeed an interesting one. The southpaw initially wanted to be a doctor but went to Pakistan to pursue his dream of playing cricket. He eventually met his destiny and emerged as a vital cog of Pakistan’s limited-overs team. Although left-arm spinner is not a huge turner of the ball, his accuracy and bucket of variation in his armoury makes him a force to reckon with. Imad is also a handy batsman lower down the order who has played many significant knocks for the national team. Pakistan All-Rounder Imad Wasim to Tie Knot With Sania Ashfaq of London.

The world saw first of Imad Wasim in the 2008 Under-19 Cricket World Cup where he led Pakistan. He continued to impress in the domestic circuit, but the presence of spin all-rounders like Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik kept him away from the national team. However, Wasim eventually made his international debut in May 2015 and didn’t look back since then. The all-rounder delivered continuously with both bat and ball and guided the Men in Green to several memorable triumphs. As Imad Wasim turns a year older, we’ll look at some quick facts about him. Shadab Khan To Lead Pakistan in T20Is Against New Zealand In Place of Injured Babar Azam.

Imad Wasim Quick Facts:

  1. Imad Wasim was born on December 18, 1988, in Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales. Hence, he also holds a British passport.

  2. Wasim is the also first Welsh-born cricketer to represent Pakistan in international cricket.

  3. The all-rounder was the part of Pakistan U/19 squad which lifted the Under-19 World Cup title in 2006.

  4. Two years later, Wasim led Pakistan in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup.

  5. The left-arm spinner made his international debut in a T20 against Zimbabwe in May 2015.

  6. In 2016, he became the first Pakistan spinner to take a five-wicket haul in T20Is.

  7. The spinner has also attained the top position in ICC rankings for T20I bowlers.

  8. He was also the part of Pakistan’s triumphant squad in Champions Trophy 2017.

As of now, Wasim is the part of Pakistan’s T20I squad for the three-match series, starting from December 18. Hence, he’ll take the field later in the day and will want to make the day more special with a match-winning show. As regular skipper Babar Azam is out of the series with an injury, the veteran will also have to play a role in the leadership department.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 18, 2020 08:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).