Former wicket-keeper, Rashid Latif, has revealed the reason for dropping Imam-ul-Haq from the playing XI during the fourth and fifth ODI of the series against New Zealand.

According to Rashid Latif, it was the decision of Imam-ul-Haq to take a rest in the fourth game while the management was keen to include Shan Masood instead of Fakhar Zaman.

Rashid Latif stated that the 27-year-old opening batter had informed the management that he was feeling hamstring pain and could not play in the fourth encounter.

The 54-year-old wicket-keeper revealed that the national management then asked the Mardan-born batter, who had already been told about resting, to play in the fourth ODI.

“Fakhar Zaman agreed to pull himself out of the rotation policy and told the management that he would play the last ODI too, regardless of his performance,” Rashid added.

The former cricketer disclosed that Imam then informed the management that he was fit and available for the fifth ODI, but was not included due to the commitment to Fakhar.

Just hours before the last encounter of the series, Imam wrote on Twitter, “Life is an unexpected journey, so never expect anything from anyone. Be patient, Allah is watching!”

The cryptic post created controversy on social media and also raised questions over the selection as Imam had won the Man of the Match Award in the third ODI for his fifty.

When Babar Azam was asked about the tweet, the captain said that he had not seen what Imam had posted as he had not checked any social media handles since the tweet.

“If something happens in the family, we try to keep it to ourselves and not let it get out. The boys don’t even act like that. There is trust in the team like a family,” the skipper said.

Source: Pro Pakistani