Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2024 opener against the host nation, USA, comes with a significant setback – the absence of experienced all-rounder Imad Wasim.

Reason of Imad Wasim missing the game against USA

Pakistan team management has confirmed that Imad is unavailable for selection due to a persistent side strain. Captain Babar Azam revealed about Imad’s absence at the toss, stating, “He (Imad) has an injury but we will cover it up by playing the four fast bowlers.”

While the PCB medical staff is monitoring Wasim’s progress, there’s no update on his potential return date.

USA wins the toss and elects to bowl

After winning the toss in the crucial game of Group A at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, the USA skipper Monank Patel elected to bowl.

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“We will bowl first. We have been playing on the same surface and chasing is easy on this ground, also it is better to know the target. It was a great game and we want to continue that momentum. It is a new challenge and we want to make sure we play our best cricket. One change for us,” he said at the toss.

USA vs PAK: Playing XI of both teams

USA: Steven Taylor, Monank Patel (c & wk), Andries Gous, Aaron Jones, Nitish Kumar, Corey Anderson, Harmeet Singh, Jasdeep Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Haris Rauf

Also READ: T20 World Cup 2024: Babar Azam slams critics ahead of Pakistan’s opening game against USA

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