A long time in the past, it took a Pakistani one Sharjah six to beat India in a last-over thriller. On Wednesday evening, it took a Pakistani and two Sharjah sixes to down Afghanistan, who refused to fade away and did not use a battle of their lives.
And it seems a modified bat helped Naseem Shah to flex his muscular tissues.
When the final man Mohammad Hasnain was with him, Naseem requested his bat.
“I informed Hasnain, give me your bat as my bat isn’t that good,” Naseem informed in a video by PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board). Hasnain, too makes a fast entry into the video, and provides the story.
“He asked me my bat and I said okay, if you take a single, give it back to me.” It would have been a beautiful gully-cricket picture had that transpired. However, Naseem walloped two consecutive sixes to complete the sport.
🗣️ Belief in his batting ability and exchanging the bat with @MHasnainPak – @iNaseemShah reflects on his match-winning sixes ✨#AsiaCup2022 | #AFGvPAK pic.twitter.com/sxuxu1359u
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 7, 2022
Naseem says he had the idea that he may win the sport.
“The belief was there that I can do it. I knew they would try bowling yorkers and I was ready. When I went to bat, I just wanted to give singles to Asif [Ali] Bhai. But I am confident on my batting as I have been training in nets.”
Afghanistan captain Nabi would say that his instruction to Fazalhaq Farooqi earlier than the final over was to bowl a yorker or sluggish bouncer, and Farooqi selected yorker; however, couldn’t land them.
A couple of years ago, former Pakistan captain and Pakistan’s Nationwide Cricket Academy director Mudassar Nazar predicted to this newspaper that Naseem has the expertise to go “all the best way.” He was speaking about Naseem’s bowling. “He is the real deal. From what I see, he has everything. It’s up to him now.” From what we have seen on the Asia Cup, Naseem appears greater than able to be a star.
