AUCKLAND
\nAfter consecutive ducks in his first two Twenty20 Internationals \u2014 part of the ongoing five-match series against New Zealand \u2014 Hasan Nawaz was convinced that he wasn\u2019t ready for international cricket.
\nBut before the barrage of negative thoughts could fully weigh the 23-year-old down, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and his deputy Shadab Khan showed up to the opener with reassurance.
\nThe interference \u2014 perhaps a conscious effort to inculcate the elusive sense of security among newer players in the national side\u2019s dressing room \u2014 did wonders, as Hasan went on to smash the fastest century ever by a Pakistan batter in a T20I in their nine-wicket win in the third T20I on Friday.
\nThe right-hander\u2019s monstrous effort has not only kept the series alive for Pakistan but also strengthened the national selectors\u2019 apparent intent to give promising players longer stretches while the team seeks to shift gears to modern ways of playing white-ball cricket.
\n\u201cI thought that maybe I should return to domestic cricket,\u201d Hasan said in the post-match press conference. \u201cBut the backing from Agha and Shadab was crucial.
\n\u201cThey reassured me, saying they believed my skills and my ability to win matches for the team.\u201d
\nGoing into the series with a host of young players, Pakistan had found themselves clueless against the swing and seam-conducive conditions in Christchurch and Dunedin earlier. But the messaging in the team\u2019s dressing room was clear; playing fearless cricket.
\n\u201cEven though the conditions in New Zealand are challenging, with new-ball bowlers being tough, once the pressure was released, our mindset shifted to attacking,\u201d Hasan revealed. \u201cWe knew we needed to play fearless cricket, even if we failed at the start.
\nThe focus was always on playing aggressive, fearless cricket.\u201c
\nBorn in Layyah with such a craze for cricket that it took him to Islamabad to pursue the sport professionally, Hasan rose to prominence when he finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the 2022 Kashmir Premier League season.
\nRated highly by the likes of former Pakistan captains Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq, Hasan played all three formats in domestic cricket lately. On Friday, he demonstrated his ability to adapt.
\n\u201cThe conditions here are different,\u201d he said of the Eden Park surface. \u201cThe spinners are easier to face, but the pacers have extra bounce, which we don\u2019t get in domestic cricket as our pitches are lower in bounce.
\n\u201cAfter the first two matches, I felt like things were different, but I had discussions with the coach, and we worked on the areas where we were going wrong.
\nWith that plan, I went out today, and thankfully, I found success.\u201c
\nTowards the end of Pakistan\u2019s chase, when Hasan was nearing his century, he was accompanied by Salman at the other end, with the skipper encouraging the youngster to go for the milestone.
\n\u201cAgha hit two boundaries and after that, he seemed to be encouraging me for the century,\u201d Hasan said of his correspondence with Salman. \u201cBut I told him, \u2018no, finish the match, I don\u2019t care about the century\u2019.
\n\u201cI told him that if it was meant to be, I would get it, but my focus was on finishing the game.\u201d
\nHasan said he had received full backing from Pakistan interim head coach Aaqib Javed and selectors back home despite the poor start to his international career.
\n\u201cAaqib bhai told me, even if I get five ducks, it\u2019s okay, the team management would believe in me,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you receive such backing, you feel like you can achieve anything.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AUCKLAND After consecutive ducks in his first two Twenty20 Internationals \u2014 part of the ongoing five-match series against New Zealand \u2014 Hasan Nawaz was convinced that he wasn\u2019t ready for international cricket. But before the barrage of negative thoughts could fully weigh the 23-year-old down, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and his deputy Shadab Khan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":468691,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-468655","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n