Big Bash League 13: Imad Wasim to play for Melbourne Stars

Pakistani all-rounder Imad Wasim, who recently bid adieu to international cricket following his retirement from the national cricket team, will now be seen playing for the Melbourne Stars in the 13th season of the Australian Big Bash League (BBL).

The 34-year-old will be joined by former teammates Haris Rauf and Usama Mir in the upcoming league which is set to begin from December 7.

Imad will be seen in action for the Stars after Christmas to play the remainder of the league. He previously played for the Melbourne Renegades

The side's General Manager Blair Crouch said the team identified Imad as a "player who could come in and perform a role for us with his left-arm spin and lengthen our batting lineup", as the team has England's Liam Dawson available for the first three matches this season.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing lots of Pakistan fans in the crowd at the MCG with Imad joining his former national teammates, Usama Mir and Haris Rauf," he added.

Imad’s inclusion in the BBL side came just days after announcing his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect as the left-handed batter stated that he only wanted to focus on league cricket from now.

Melbourne Stars squad for BBL 13 comprises Scott Boland, Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Liam Dawson (England), Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell, Usama Mir (Pakistan), Joel Paris, Haris Rauf (Pakistan), Tom Rogers, Mark Steketee, Marcus Stoinis, Imad Wasim (Pakistan) and Beau Webster.

The 34-year-old Imad made his international debut in May 2015 against Zimbabwe and went on to represent Pakistan in 55 ODIs and 66 T20Is. He took 109 wickets and scored 1,472 runs in his international career.

Imad had been a key member of the Pakistan team over the years and was part of the 2017 Champions Trophy-winning squad. He also played in the 2016 T20 World Cup, 2019 World Cup, and 2021 T20 World Cup.

It must be noted Imad recently decided to skip the ongoing National T20 in Karachi after being named in the Islamabad squad.

The cricketer is now currently representing Deccan Gladiators in Abu Dhabi T10 League 8.

Earlier on November 29, Imad became part of one of the biggest trades in the history of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as he joined Islamabad United while Hasan Ali joined the 2020 PSL winners.