He featured in the first three Asia Cup 2025 games.
Pakistan have gained momentum by winning the previous two Asia Cup 2025 matches in the Super Four stage, where they have done most things correctly. However, the team still has a few glaring loopholes, especially in the batting department, which has been far from impressive.
As they build towards the final against India, a former cricketer and now a commentator, Urooj Mumtaz, has suggested that Pakistan should bring in Hasan Nawaz to bolster their batting unit. Labelling Nawaz ‘generational’ on ESPNcricinfo’s Timeout show, she explained why Hussain Talat must sit out to accommodate him.
“I’d like to see Hasan Nawaz coming in. I don’t understand how the one generational talent that we called him, and the guy’s got talent. I have seen him throughout the PSL. He was very good in the top order, but he’ll be in that middle order, where he also played some match-winning knocks. I don’t understand how he’s on bench.”
Nawaz featured in the first three Asia Cup 2025 games, where he registered low scores of 9, 5, & 3 against Oman, India, and UAE, respectively. However, the team opted for an additional bowling option, who also contributed with the willow in the form of Hussain Talat in the Super Four stage and got decent returns, including an all-round contribution against Sri Lanka.
Hasan Nawaz has been touted as one of the finest talents in the Pakistan circuit, someone who fits perfectly in the team’s new methods. He has a strike rate of 158.09 and a balls-per-boundary ratio of 4.98 this year, suggesting he can bat at a high rate.
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Unfortunately, Pakistan don’t have a spot in the top order, unless they drop Saim Ayub, and Nawaz will have to bat in the middle. However, he is still a quality batter and offers a lot – thanks to his sublime power-hitting – and must get a spot in the XI, especially after their middle-order struggles throughout the tournament.
Nawaz came into the competition with form on his side, and now that the team has invested heavily in him before, they must give him an extended run. It’s not that they have too many quality options who can replace him in terms of power-hitting either.
The only issue is that he seems to fail while adjusting to the slow nature of the pitches across various venues, as his average of 13.75 and a strike rate of 120.87 in the UAE suggest. Still, Nawaz brings what few other Pakistani batters do – brute power and ability to clear the ropes, which are worth enough to make him the X-factor who can make a difference in the big final against a high-flying India.
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