Imam-ul-Haq has been dropped for Pakistan’s 2023 World Cup encounter against Bangladesh on Tuesday, October 31 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The left-handed batsman was replaced in the playing XI by Fakhar Zaman.
Imam made the choice after scoring only 162 runs in six matches at an average of 27, including a lone half-century against Australia.
Surprisingly, Imam has scored 261 runs at an average of 87 in three ODIs against Bangladesh, including one ton and two half-centuries.
Interestingly, Zaman is coming off a disappointing 2023 Asia Cup performance, scoring 65 runs in four innings at an average of 16.25. He has 12 goals against the Netherlands in the 2023 World Cup before being benched for five games.
Fans on X (previously known as Twitter) expressed conflicting feelings when Pakistan dropped Imam from the playing XI. Some questioned whether the move was related to his uncle Inzamam-ul-Haq’s resignation as Pakistan’s head selector.
One person posted the following meme:
“Kaleja thanda ho gaya (to satisfy the heart’s longing).”
Here are some more reactions:
Three Changes for Pakistan, Bangladesh Batting First in World Cup Clash
Pakistan made three changes against Bangladesh after losing four straight World Cup matches. Apart from Imam, Salman Agha and Usama Mir took the position of Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz.
Bangladesh made one alteration, as Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and chose to bat first. Towhid Hridoy came in for Mahedi Hasan in the starting lineup.
Only two of the first six games between the two sides have been wins. They’ll be competitive for a semifinal Just two games out of the initial six were victorious when these two teams faced off. Shining a spotlight on the semifinals, they must grab a win to compete.