Asif Ali: “I was not thinking anything negative. If playing the World Cup was in my destiny I [knew I] would get a chance”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Pakistan power hitter Asif Ali has revealed that he “was not thinking anything negative” when he was initially left out of the World Cup squad.

Asif’s World Cup snub came as a surprise as he had a solid campaign at the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he accumulated 281 runs in 12 games for Islamabad United, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 35.12 and an incredible strike-rate of 182.46.

He followed that up with 142 runs in the five-match ODI series against England, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 35.50 and a strike-rate of 131.48.

This was enough to get him into the finalised World Cup squad along with left-arm seamers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz.

With the trio coming in, left-arm pace bowler Junaid Khan, opener Abid Ali and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf were axed from the side.

In Pakistan’s World Cup match against England, which they won by 14 runs, Asif made quickfire 14 before being dismissed by Mark Wood.

“I was not thinking anything negative. If playing the World Cup was in my destiny I [knew I would] get a chance. I played my natural game in the series and you may have noticed that I looked different,” Asif was quoted as saying by The News International.

Pakistan’s next World Cup match will be against Sri Lanka in Bristol on Friday.

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