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SHARJAH: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha echoed a similar statement regarding Mohammad Nawaz, who was labeled as the match-winner by former captain Babar Azam.
In 2022, Pakistan skipper at that time Babar Azam called all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz his match-winner following the side’s defeat to India in the tense ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 fixture.
Mohammad Nawaz had to defend 15 runs in the final over of the crunch match against India in Melbourne. He took the wicket of Hardik Pandya. However, it was not enough for him to seal the victory for his side.
Talking to the players after the game, Babar Azam addressed Muhammad Nawaz and praised his efforts in the match.
“You are my match winner,” he had said. “I will always believe in you. You will win matches for me. The efforts were really good.”
Now, Salman Ali Agha has echoed similar sentiments of ace batter Babar Azam.
“If Babar Azam says it, then he must be right. The kind of performance Mohammad Nawaz has given, particularly after making his way back into the team, is commendable.
“If you watch the series against the West Indies and against Bangladesh, he has performed outstandingly well,” he added.
He lauded Nawaz’s all-round contribution in the team, hailing him as a game-changer.
“He gives you such a margin that it seems like we are playing with twelve players on the team. He is a real match-winner,” Salman Ali Agha concluded.
For context, Mohammad Nawaz helped Pakistan seal the tri-series triumph over Afghanistan by a hefty margin of 75 runs.
Nawaz was pivotal in Pakistan success, taking a hat-trick-laced five-wicket haul that demolished the Afghanistan batting lineup.
Not only that, he also contributed with the bat, making a vital knock of 25 from 21 balls at the crucial stage of the game, which provided Pakistan a late flurry in the first innings.
He was eventually named the Player of the Series for his all-round performance. During the T20I tri-series, Nawaz took 10 wickets and made 120 runs in five matches.
