Babar Azam suffers big blow ahead of World Cup 2024 clash, star player forced to...

Babar Azam and Pakistan have suffered a major setback before their T20 World Cup 2024 opener against the USA. Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim has been ruled out of the match on June 6 at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas due to a side strain, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Wednesday, June 6.

'Imad Wasim will not be available for selection for Thursday’s match as he has been advised rest by the PCB Medical Team,' PCB said.

Imad Wasim reversed his decision to retire from all formats of the game in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup. The left-arm spinner, who last played in the T20 World Cup in 2021, has taken 6 wickets in 6 matches. He performed well in those games, making a strong case for his inclusion in the T20 World Cup squad.

Imad caught the selectors' attention with his impressive performance in the Pakistan Super League, where he took five wickets in the final, helping Islamabad United to win the title. Additionally, Mohammad Amir, a member of the 2009 T20 World Cup-winning squad, has also returned from retirement for this tournament.

Pakistan are drawn in Group A alongside India, USA, Ireland and Canada.

Pakistan Squad for T20 World Cup 2024

Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (wk), Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.