Young left-hander’s aggressive knock against SL reflects Pakistan’s management’s faith in his natural game
Maaz Sadaqat celebrates his maiden T20I fifty against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Photo: AFP
KARACHI:
Pakistan’s young left-handed batsman Maaz Sadaqat may be in the early stages of his international career, having played just six One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals, but he has already shown the potential to make an impact at the highest level.
The Peshawar-born batsman delivered an impressive display of power-hitting in the first T20I against Sri Lanka on Friday night, lighting up the Pindi Cricket Stadium with a blistering half-century that laid the foundation for Pakistan’s successful chase.
Maaz smashed 50 off just 29 deliveries, striking three sixes and four fours, as Pakistan chased down the 183-run target with seven balls to spare. His 92-run partnership for the second wicket with captain Sahibzada Farhan, who scored 89, proved decisive in steering the hosts to victory.
Coming in after the dismissal of Fakhar Zaman, who made 21, Maaz immediately put Sri Lanka under pressure. He took on Eshan Malinga, striking two sixes and a four in the same over, which yielded 16 runs and set the tone for his aggressive innings.
The innings was particularly encouraging for a young batsman still finding his feet in international cricket. More importantly, Maaz’s approach reflected the confidence he has gained from the team management, which has encouraged him to trust his instincts and play his natural game.
“It’s easy to bat in the powerplay. I play with positive intent and the way the modern cricket has been shaped. The way our coaches have told us and the way their mindset is so we back that and we are reaping success,” Maaz told a post-match news conference.
The left-hander said he does not allow outside opinions to dictate his approach at the crease, crediting the management for giving him the freedom to express himself.
“I don’t think about that what people would think and say and the second thing is I back my natural game and the way management has given me green signal to play my natural strokes. I follow that,” he said.
For Maaz, the half-century was a personal milestone, but the team’s victory remained the bigger achievement.
“It’s good that we have won the match. It was my first fifty and I am very happy,” said Maaz.
“And the way I have been playing inshaAllah in the next match too I will carry that,”
His confidence will be encouraging for Pakistan as they seek greater consistency and depth in their batting line-up. The emergence of young players capable of scoring quickly could also help address concerns surrounding the middle order.
Maaz believes Pakistan have made progress in that department with Hasan Nawaz and Abdul Samad making their presence felt.
“I think our problem at the middle order has now overcome as Hasan Nawaz is playing so well in that zone and so is Abdul Samad,” he said.
While one innings does not settle every question about a young batsman’s international future, Maaz’s performance offered a glimpse of what he could bring to Pakistan’s T20 setup. His ability to attack from the outset, coupled with the confidence to back his natural game, makes him a player worth watching as his international career develops.
The challenge now is to ensure that such promise translates into consistency. For Pakistan, nurturing emerging talent will require not only technical guidance but also the belief and backing needed to allow young players to perform without the burden of excessive expectations.
Maaz has made a promising start. If the management continues to provide him with the confidence and freedom to play his natural strokes, Pakistan may have found another attacking option capable of adding impetus to its batting line-up.
