Yorkshire suffer Imam blow as star batsman recalled by Pakistan
IN the definition of the term “double-edged sword”, Imam-ul-Haq’s magnificent form for Yorkshire has dealt the club the cruellest of blows.
Imam has been recalled by Pakistan and will miss the final of the One-Day Cup should Yorkshire get there and their last three matches in the County Championship as they fight to preserve their First Division status.
The 29-year-old batsman will make his last appearance for the club in the One-Day Cup semi-final against Hampshire at Scarborough on Sunday.
In a short statement on social media, Yorkshire announced: “The Yorkshire County Cricket Club can confirm that Imam-ul-Haq’s stint with the club will be cut short, with the opener set to play his last game on Sunday.
“The batter, who has been in scintillating form in the One-Day Cup, has been called back by the Pakistan national team.”
Confusion surrounds what Imam has been called back for exactly. Pakistan will shortly contest the Asia Cup, an eight-team T20 competition in the United Arab Emirates, but the left-hander has played only two T20 internationals, both in 2019.
Pakistan are due to host a two-Test series against South Africa in October according to the International Cricket Council (ICC) Future Tours Programme, but no dates or schedule have been confirmed. As well as their Asia Cup campaign, it is thought that Pakistan are hosting a two-week fitness camp for players next month.
Imam, who made the last of his 24 Test appearances in December 2023, has played a key role in Yorkshire’s progress to the one-day semi-finals. He has hit 583 runs in seven innings, with three hundreds and three fifties, and is the second-leading run-scorer in the tournament behind Hampshire’s Nick Gubbins (665 runs in nine innings).