Imad Wasim, who became the first bowler to take five wickets in a PSL final, was observed smoking in the Islamabad United dressing room.
Imad Wasim, a former all-rounder for Pakistan, was found smoking in the dressing room on Monday after he astonishingly claimed five wickets for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine final against Multan Sultans at Karachi’s National Bank Cricket Arena. The impressive bowling performance and Martin Guptill’s half-century were key components of Islamabad’s two-wicket win and third PSL title.
Wasim ran riot through the Multan Sultan batting line-up after Islamabad were put to bowl first in the summit clash. He handed the team the first breakthrough, in the second over, dismissing opener Yasir Khan before combining with captain Shadab Khan to send Multan four down for 85 runs in the 12th over.On returning to attack, Wasim dismissed Khusdil and Chris Jordan in successive deliveries, but was denied a hat-trick. He eventually finished with 5 for 23, becoming the first-ever bowler to pick up a fifer in a PSL final as Multan were restricted to 159 for nine.
After the impressive show with the ball, Wasim went to the dressing room and was seen smoking, a visual of which went viral on social media.
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This isn’t the first instance that a cricketer was spotted smoking in the dressing room. Back in 2022, during an international match, Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Shahzad was caught smoking and was later reprimanded by match officials. More recently, during the 2023 ODI World Cup tournament, Australia’s Glenn Maxwell was seen smoking an e-cigarette in the dressing room.
In reply, Guptill’s 32-ball 50 kept Islamabad alive in the chase despite wickets falling at regular intervals. The veteran New Zealand batter later found himself in a 47-run stand with wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan which revived the side. However, it was Naseem Shah’s cameo of 9-ball 17, laced with a maximum and two boundaries, and Hunain Shah’s title-winning boundary in the last ball that seal the victory for Islamabad.
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