AUCKLAND: Pakistan opener Hasan Nawaz opened up on his chat with skipper Salman Ali Agha before a record-breaking century against New Zealand in the third T20I of the five-match series at Eden Park on Friday.
Chasing a daunting 205, Pakistan made it look effortless, reaching the target with 24 balls to spare and just one wicket down.
Hasan was named the Player of the Match, hammering an unbeaten 101 off just 45 balls, decorated with 10 fours and seven sixes.
While speaking during a post-match press conference, Hasan revealed his chat with captain Agha Salman, who equally contributed with his unbeaten half-century in a record run chase.
“He told me to get the hundred. But I urged him to finish the match and that I’m not interested in getting the hundred because, hopefully, I can do it again.”
“That’s what I told him, and if fate allows it, I can get to the milestone again,” he stated.
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Hasan Nawaz discussed the attacking mindset of the team, expressing that they would approach the game fearlessly.
“We have attacking cricket in our minds, and our approach is to play fearless cricket,” he said.
The 22-year-old reflected on his innings, noting that he had never experienced pitches like those in New Zealand before, where there is a lot of bounce especially in the early overs.
“I have played my cricket on Pakistan’s domestic surfaces which have low bounce. I’ve never played on such pitches as those in New Zealand before.”
The batter failed to open his account in his first two innings, Hasan stated that he took the time to review his batting with the help of the coaches, which led to significant improvements.
” With the help of coaches, I made substantial progress after the first two matches, ” Hasan told the reporter.
He also mentioned that the selectors gave him confidence despite failures in the first two matches.
“The selectors have backed me and given me the confidence to play more matches despite my struggles, ” he concluded.
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