The rumors of discord within the Pakistan cricket team have been confirmed. Assistant coach Azhar Mahmood previously denied any issues among players, refuting Wasim Akram’s claim that Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi were not speaking. While Babar and Shaheen may not have any issues, other players certainly do.
Iftikhar Ahmed vs Imad Wasim:
Tensions became evident after Pakistan’s embarrassing defeat to India. Iftikhar Ahmed, who scored 5 runs off 9 balls, appears to have a conflict with Imad Wasim. Imad, despite playing with an injury, scored 15 runs off 23 balls and bowled an economical spell of 3 overs for 17 runs. However, instead of praise, Imad faced criticism from both fans and teammates.
So Iftikhar Ahmad the age fraud is blaming Imad Wasim for the defeat against India. #t20USA
Iftikhar has liked the tweet criticising Imad.
There is clearly a grouping in the Pakistan team. pic.twitter.com/zUwUDqD0up
— M (@anngrypakiistan) June 11, 2024
After the match, Iftikhar liked a post on X (formerly Twitter) that mocked Imad’s innings. The post sarcastically labeled Imad’s 15-run knock as a ‘masterclass,’ highlighting the growing friction within the team.
This internal strife comes at a critical time for Pakistan as they need to win their remaining matches to keep their hopes alive in the T20 World Cup 2024. The team’s management will need to address these issues quickly to ensure unity and focus in their upcoming games.