All-rounder Imad Wasim starred with the ball in Islamabad United’s thrilling two-wicket victory over Multan Sultans in the PSL 2024 final at the National Stadium, Karachi on Monday (March 18).
Imad claimed a five-wicket haul with the ball and then played an unbeaten knock of 19 in 17 balls to take Islamabad over the line.
However, more than his match-winning exploits, Imad Wasim is grabbing the headlines for a wrong reason.
During the 18th over of Multan’s innings, Imad was seen smoking a cigarette inside the dressing room. The video appeared on the TV screens after he had completed his spell, returning with the figures of 5/23 in his four overs.
In addition to the smoking controversy, another video emerged on social media, in which Imad was seen celebrating the title win with a little girl in his arms, pretending to smoke in jest while being surrounded by his teammates.
Imad Wasim’s act further stirred up a controversy as it raised concerns about the message being sent to fans, especially the young ones.
Coming to the PSL 2024 final, Islamabad United restricted Multan Sultans to 159/9 on the back of Imad Wasim’s five-wicket haul.
In reply, Islamabad overhauled the target on the final delivery. Martin Guptill top scored with 32-ball 50 while Azam Khan (30 off 22), Imad (19*), Naseem Shah (17 off 9) and Hunain Shah (4* off 1) made key contributions to seal the deal.