We will bounce back, hopes Imad

MANCHESTER: Under usual circumstances, Imad Wasim would have been pleased with his personal performance in Sunday’s big World Cup game.

Brought back into the playing eleven, he just conceded 49 runs from his 10 overs as India, one of the most fancied batting units at the World Cup, powered to 336 at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Later, as Pakistan faltered in their run-chase, Imad hit an unbeaten 46 from 39 balls even though he knew it was more or less a futile effort.As he walked back towards the dressing room following Pakistan’s defeat, there were some nasty chants from a few disgruntled spectators. Imad and team-mate Shadab Khan kept climbing the stairs with their heads hanging in shame following yet another defeat against old foes India.

But they and other Pakistani players will have to recover from the embarrassing defeat to stay in the hunt for a place in the semi-finals.Imad promised on Sunday that Pakistan will give their best to bounce back in the tournament.

“This was a really, really disappointing result for us,” he said while talking to reporters after Pakistan’s 89-run defeat against India at Old Trafford. “When we came back on after the rain there was very little we could do, but we know we have four matches left and if we win those, we still have a chance.

“Results of the other countries may come into play. From our point of view, we can only do what we can. What is in our hands is to try to win all four games and take it from there.”

Imad was dropped after Pakistan’s seven-wicket defeat against West Indies. The Pakistani team management has been so clueless about their playing eleven that there are no guarantees whether he would be retained in the line-up for Pakistan’s next World Cup game — against South Africa at Lord’s on June 23.Asked about it, Imad refrained from making any comments. “That is not up to me, it is up to the captain and the coach,” Imad said.