Khawaja Nafay on Viv Richards: “I inquired about his power-hitting and how he managed to play the most challenging shots with ease. He responded that he believed in himself and his practice”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan up-and-coming batsman Khawaja Nafay revealed legendary West Indies batsman Sir Viv Richards told him how he got so good at power-hitting during the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Nafay played for the Quetta Gladiators in PSL 10, while Richards served as the the team’s mentor.
When the 23-year-old approached Richards for advice on big-hitting, the West Indian great told him that it came down to two things – believing in yourself and practice.
“During the PSL, we shared his [Viv Richards] batting videos with him. I inquired about his power-hitting and how he managed to play the most challenging shots with ease,” Nafay was quoted as saying by A Sports.
“He responded that he believed in himself and his practice. If one could have confidence and a strong sense of self-belief, nothing is ever truly difficult.”
During the PSL, Nafay featured in two games for the Gladiators and scored 52 runs, which included a top score of 51, at an average of 26 and a strike-rate of 173.33.
After this, Pakistan beat Bangladesh 3-0 in a T20I series in Lahore before embarking on a tour of Bangladesh, where they lost the T20I series 2-1.
Next came a white-ball tour of the West Indies, during which the men in green won the T20I series 2-1 but lost the ODIs 2-1.
Pakistan will now be involved in a T20I tri-series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan, which will be held in Sharjah from August 29 to September 7.
Following this, Pakistan will feature in the 2025 Asia Cup, which will take place in the UAE from September 9 to 28.
Pakistan squad for UAE T20I tri-series and 2025 Asia Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem
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