Wayne Parnell: “Pakistan’s next superstar, Maaz Sadaqat”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former South Africa all-rounder Wayne Parnell has predicted that batting sensation Maaz Sadaqat will emerge as “Pakistan’s next superstar.”
Sadaqat has been turning heads lately, especially during the 2025 Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament as he was the leading run-scorer with 258 runs in five matches for the Pakistan Shaheens, which included two fifties, at an average of 129 and strike-rate of 177.93.
He also impressed with the ball, finishing as the joint fourth-highest wicket-taker with seven wickets at an average of 7.42 and an economy rate of 4.33.
Sadaqat’s momentum has continued in domestic cricket as he was the fifth-highest run-scorer in the President’s Cup Grade-I (One-Day) competition with 374 runs in seven games for Oil & Gas Development Company Limited, which included two centuries and two fifties, at an average of 62.33.
Bowling-wise, he claimed four wickets at an average of 33.
Most recently, the young prospect scored 25 and 13 in his lone match for Oil & Gas Development Company Limited in the President’s Trophy Grade-I tournament.
Given how well the 20-year-old is doing, Parnell thinks he is on course to be the next big thing in Pakistan cricket.
“Pakistan’s next superstar, Maaz Sadaqat,” he said on Instagram as quoted by A Sports.
The Pakistan team are currently involved in the 2026 T20 World Cup, where they won their first two games against the Netherlands and United States of America before falling to India.
Next up for them will be a clash against Namibia on February 18 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