Imad Wasim has promised that the fans will see a “different” Pakistan in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 which will be played in the United States and West Indies from June 1.
Wasim, who recently returned to international cricket, held a press conference on Monday where he discussed several things including the first day with Pakistan’s white-ball coach, Gary Kirsten, who joined the team in Leeds.
The all-rounder was asked during a press conference if there is a feeling of winning the World Cup within the team. He also talked about the first day with Kirsten who will be coaching the Pakistani team in his first-ever series.
“Look, if I’m being honest, if any team goes into the World Cup and say they don’t feel like [winning] it, then there is no point [of going] so. We are going to win the World Cup and that is what we feel and are thinking,” Imad said.
“We had a chat [with Kirsten] in the morning today, he arrived yesterday. He looks to be a good coach but we will work with him and see how it goes. But his record around the world is amazing. He coached India and South Africa, and he has coached the IPL teams, so he’s very renowned and famous in terms of coaching so, hopefully, we will thrive under him.”
The 35-year-old then talked about the recent T20I series against New Zealand and Ireland where Pakistan lost matches. Imad said that the setback came in the series which was a good sign. He also revealed that the changes in the team’s performance have been witnessed and will be clearly seen in the coming future.
“We lost to New Zealand and Ireland and couldn’t play good cricket, it is a fact. It's good that Pakistan faced a setback losing matches against Ireland and New Zealand rather than in the T20 World Cup. We used to get relaxed [before] but now we have decided to play every match with the same intensity.
“We should be focused on ourselves and only ourselves. We are correcting our issues and doing it with great intensity. The way we are holding meetings and the coach, chairman and captain have communicated, we can see that there have been different changes and you’ll see those changes in the World Cup and in this series,” he added.
- Imad Wasim