KARACHI: When the concept of a franchise-based Twenty20 tournament was brewed in the corridors of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headquarters in Lahore, many predicted that such a venture will unearth country’s local talent.
Earlier this year in February, when the PCB organised Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) first edition in Dubai and Sharjah, that was the case.
A Rawalpindi-born left-arm orthodox smashed onto Shane Watson’s leg-stump in the eighth over of the first game. Watson, boasting 307 international games, was left in disarray as he misjudged Mohammad Nawaz’s good-length delivery that straightened enough to finish the Aussie’s innings.
The 22-year-old spinner went on to pick three more to return the match figures of four for 13 at an astonishing economy of three runs per over.
“I have learnt a lot from my PSL experience,” Nawaz, who took 13 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 18 during the tournament, told DawnNews in an exclusive interview before departing to the British Isles.
His decent display with the bat and bowl during the recently concluded tri-nation ‘A’ team series in England bagged him a spot for the upcoming One-Day Internationals against Ireland and England.
“I want to cement my place in the team on the basis of profound performances and will give my 100 per cent whenever I am given an opportunity,” Nawaz said, adding, “I’ve the experience of playing in England. I have played league cricket for two years there and the recent tour has helped me to acclimatise to the those conditions.”
Nawaz was drafted into the Asia Cup T20 squad on the basis of his staggering performances during PSL. However, he failed to bag a wicket in the two matches he played against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Reminiscing the tournament in Bangladesh earlier this year, Nawaz said, “I was unable to perform in T20s but now I have been given an opportunity to play in ODIs. I started my cricket with a dream of playing for Pakistan and now I have reached that level. Here I have to survive on the basis of my performances.
“My aim is to bag man-of-the-match awards whenever I play for Pakistan.”
Nawaz is not the only left-arm orthodox to be selected for the upcoming 50-over contests. He will vie Swansea-born Imad Wasim to secure a spot in the playing XI.
Nawaz, however, believes that there is no competition between the two as his only competition is the opposition. “Whoever plays for us, I want him to perform.”
Being an all-rounder, Nawaz idolises Mohammad Hafeez and Shakib-ul-Hasan. He scored an invaluable 55 below the order during Pakistan ‘A”s tour game against Glamorgan.
“I am looking to seize the opportunity with the bat whenever I get to bat. I look to prove my abilities with the bat too.”
i think my team for this match will be
1 sharjeel khan
2 azhar ali
3 babar azam
4 shoaib malik
5 imad waseem
6 sarfarz ahmed
7 muhammad rizwan
8 muhamad amir
9 umar gul
10 whab riaz
11 bismillah khan
i think this is balnce side for todays match however my all the prayers are with team pakistan
love pakistan