New Delhi: Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq’s dream run continues in the County One-Day Cup 2025 in England. Imam has scored three centuries in just six matches so far in the tournament, and his latest ton helped his side chase down 284 runs comfortably against Sussex to qualify for the next round.
The Pakistani batter was not the first-choice opener for Yorkshire, as he was signed by the English club after India’s Ruturaj Gaikwad pulled out from the tournament due to personal reasons. Imam was the last-minute replacement of Gaikwad, but he has grabbed the opportunity and displayed his match-winning instincts.
Imam fell only once below 50 runs in the ongoing tournament as he has registered two half-centuries and three centuries in six outings. Imam is also the second-highest run-getter in the County One-Day Cup with 513 runs at an average of 102.6
Imam also smashed his career-best List A score of 159 runs against Northamptonshire. His team is in the top position of the points table, having won six out of seven games. The only match Yorkshire lost was the match that Imam didn’t play.
Imam-ul-Haq’s redemption
With his masterclass in English conditions, Imam has given a perfect response to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selectors after they dropped him from the ODI setup after the New Zealand tour in April this year.
Pakistan lost their last ODI series against the West Indies, where both openers failed miserably in all three ODIs. Abdullah Shafique managed just 55 runs in three innings, while the other opener, Saim Ayub, scored just 28 runs in three innings.
In the series decider match, both Pakistani openers were dismissed for a duck, and Pakistan lost an ODI series against the West Indies after 34 years.
The phenomenal performances of Imam will open the doors for him again in the ODI setup. The opener has already been out of the Test and T20I setups since 2018 and 2019, respectively.