Pakistan’s search for a dependable batter playing the modern game may have found a contender in Hasan Nawaz, whose early performances in international cricket have turned heads, but former Test opener Sadiq Mohammad believes the youngster’s game still needs fine-tuning before he becomes world class.
The 22-year-old right-hander has announced himself in style in ODI cricket, securing the man of the match award on his debut with an unbeaten 63 to guide Pakistan to a five-wicket win over the West Indies in the series opener and scoring a composed 36* in his second game despite difficult conditions.
While praising Hasan Nawaz’s ability to clear the boundary, Sadiq stressed that success at the highest level demands more than just big hitting.
“He needs to work on his ground strokes and aim to play in front of the square,” Sadiq told a local news website. “Improving his wrist work is crucial. In ODIs, you have time — rotating the strike, picking singles and twos is just as important as hitting boundaries. Quality bowlers will expose weaknesses if he doesn’t address them.”
The veteran cricketer urged Pakistan’s coaching staff to focus on polishing Hasan’s technique, pointing to Babar Azam as a role model for strike rotation and innings-building.
With just 16 international innings under his belt, Hasan Nawaz still has a lot to learn about the game. Yet the early signs are extremely positive. The 22-year-old has shown glimpses of his talent in nearly every innings, and seems to have mastered the most difficult element for any batter: clearing the boundary when the need arises.
With Mike Hesson’s backing and his own ability to improve further, Hasan Nawaz may very well be the middle-order batter to lead Pakistan’s revolution in the cricketing arena.