Pakistan’s rising star Hasan Nawaz has revealed that securing victory for his team was his top priority rather than reaching a personal milestone during his record-breaking innings against New Zealand۔
In a post-match media talk in Auckland, the young batter disclosed that he told his batting partner, Agha Salman, to focus on finishing the match instead of worrying about his century.
“I told him to complete the game; I wasn’t concerned about my century. I can score a century in the future, but winning the match was more important,” he remarked.
Hasan Nawaz’s remarkable innings saw him score an unbeaten century, setting a new record for the fastest T20 hundred by a Pakistani player.
Hasan admitted that he had immense pressure after failing in his first two matches. “I was under a lot of stress after getting out twice. I even thought of returning to domestic cricket to work on my game. Today, my only focus was taking the first single, and once I did that, the pressure eased, allowing me to play my natural game,” he explained.
Hasan Nawaz credited his success to the support and encouragement received from the team management and selectors.
Coming from a middle-class family in Layyah with no cricketing background, he expressed deep gratitude to his father, dedicating the century to him. “This century is for my father. He has always prayed for my success,” he said.
He also thanked Pakistan selector Hassan Cheema for believing in his abilities even after initial setbacks. “Hassan Cheema messaged me, saying, ‘I know you’ll score runs.’ That belief gave me confidence.
Similarly, Aaqib Javed told me that even if I got out for zero five times, I would still be backed to play,” Hasan revealed.
Discussing his batting strategy, Hasan noted that he found attacking spinners relatively easier than facing fast bowlers. “With this kind of confidence from the team, you feel like you can achieve anything.
Today’s victory was a result of teamwork, and we are continuously learning from our mistakes,” he added.
