CONSISTENT EFFORT: Imad thinks Pakistan can become a force to be reckoned with only if the play all their matches with the same intensity as shown against South Africa. PHOTO: AFP
Pakistan left-arm spinner Imad Wasim has credited his luck for dismissing South Africa captain AB de Villiers on a golden duck on Wednesday when his team beat the world number one side by 19 runs via the DLS method in their 2017 ICC Champions Trophy match.
De Villiers, who had only six ducks to his name in 211 innings before Wednesday, was caught at point on the first ball he faced of Imad, becoming a part of the batting order collapse which helped Pakistan win the match and keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals.
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“Oh, it happens in cricket,” said Imad during an interview for the International Cricket Council (ICC). “Sometimes you get hit, sometimes the other guy gets out. It’s just cricket. You should not be carried away or feel too low by this. He hit a shot and got out, so I think I’m really lucky.”
He added that getting de Villiers out was the primary focus of the team. “He is such a big player,” said the Swansea-born Pakistan cricketer. “You know what he can do if he stays for a long time, so we were just very happy that he got out. It didn’t matter that he got out on zero or one.”
‘Complacency is the issue’
Pakistan play Sri Lanka on Monday in their final Pool B match that is practically a knockout encounter on which their final-four chances hinge, and Imad feels it's imperative that the team maintains the same intensity it had against the Proteas.
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“I’ve said this before also, we can do anything on our day,” said Wasim. “All we need to change is to put up this sort of performance more often, regardless of results. If we had played with such intensity against India, we could have won. The way the boys bowled and fielded, it was fantastic to see. We are a different unit if we play with this intensity, don’t relax or don’t become lazy.”
The 28-year-old asserted that Pakistan will go for the kill against Sri Lanka in their last group match. “When you win, the morale is different,” he said. “If we think too much about having beaten South Africa we might be flat again, but we are aware that it’s a do or die match for us. We’ll treat it like a knockout match and not worry about the result. Hopefully, Pakistan and the world will get to see a great performance.”
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