Pakistan batman Usman Khan: “I used to get hasty while batting first in international cricket, but now I try to bat with thought and composure”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan power-hitter Usman Khan has admitted that he used to “get hasty” when he first started batting in international cricket.
Since this led to him getting out cheaply on numerous occasions, the 30-year-old decided to make the necessary changes to his game and now takes a more thoughtful and composed approach.
Whether this shift will spark a sustained turnaround remains to be seen, but there were encouraging signs during the recent three-match T20I series against Australia as Usman made 71 runs in two games, which included a career-best 53, at an average of 35.50 and a strike-rate of 142.
“I used to get hasty while batting first in international cricket, but now I try to bat with thought and composure,” the Karachi native was quoted as saying by journalist Arfa Feroz Zake on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Usman is now playing for Pakistan in the 2026 T20 World Cup and has begun his campaign with back-to-back ducks against the Netherlands and United States of America.
Pakistan’s next match will be against arch-rivals India on February 15 in Colombo.
Pakistan Squad for 2026 T20 World Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq