Mohammad Hafeez: “In fact, Asif has not justified his talent whenever given [the] opportunity”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan team director and interim head coach Mohammad Hafeez believes power-hitter Asif Ali never “justified his talent” despite being given numerous opportunities to do so.
Asif was once a regular member of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I squads, but inconsistent performances led to him getting axed and the selectors losing faith in him.
His last appearance at the international level came during the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
“In fact, Asif has not justified his talent whenever given [the] opportunity,” Hafeez was quoted as saying by journalist Arfa Feroz Zake on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Asif recently played for the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), but had a quiet campaign as he was limited to 72 runs in six matches at an average of 18 and a strike-rate of 141.17.
The Zalmi managed to book their spot in the playoffs, but lost to the Multan Sultans in the Qualifier and eventual champions Islamabad United in Eliminator 2.
Asif was not selected for Pakistan’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which ended as a 2-2 draw.
He has also been overlooked for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Ireland from May 10 to 14 and the four-match T20I series against England from May 22 to May 30.
Pakistan Squad for Ireland and England T20I Series:Â Babar Azam (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan