Azhar Mahmood: “It’s really important for Asif Ali to understand it’s not just about hitting fours and sixes”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Azhar Mahmood, the head coach of Islamabad United, wants Pakistan big-hitting batsman Asif Ali to know that it is not always about just coming in and “hitting fours and sixes”.
He noted that the 31-year-old has to perform consistently across a series of matches in order to develop a reputation for himself as a dangerous batsman.
Asif was part of the Islamabad United team in the 2023 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he scored 114 runs in nine matches at an average of 19 and a strike-rate of 148.05.
“It’s really important for Asif Ali to understand it’s not just about hitting fours and sixes,” Mahmood said in a video posted by respected journalist Saj Sadiq on Twitter.
Asif was not selected for Pakistan’s ongoing two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan hold a 1-0 lead after winning the first Test in Galle by four wickets and will be looking to secure a 2-0 series win in the second Test, which gets underway on July 24 in Colombo.
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka Test Series:Â Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Muhammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood