AUCKLAND: After consecutive ducks in his first two Twenty20 Internationals — part of the ongoing five-match series against New Zealand — Hasan Nawaz was convinced that he wasn’t ready for international cricket.

But before the barrage of negative thoughts could fully weigh the 23-year-old down, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and his deputy Shadab Khan showed up to the opener with reassurance.

The interference — perhaps a conscious effort to inculcate the elusive sense of security among newer players in the national side’s dressing room — did wonders, as Hasan went on to smash the fastest century ever by a Pakistan batter in a T20I in their nine-wicket win in the third T20I on Friday.

The right-hander’s monstrous effort has not only kept the series alive for Pakistan but also strengthened the national selectors’ apparent intent to give promising players longer stretches while the team seeks to shift gears to modern ways of playing white-ball cricket.

“I thought that maybe I should return to domestic cricket,” Hasan said in the post-match press conference. “But the backing from Agha and Shadab was crucial.

“They reassured me, saying they believed my skills and my ability to win matches for the team.”

Going into the series with a host of young players, Pakistan had found themselves clueless against the swing and seam-conducive conditions in Christchurch and Dunedin earlier. But the messaging in the team’s dressing room was clear; playing fearless cricket.

“Even though the conditions in New Zealand are challenging, with new-ball bowlers being tough, once the pressure was released, our mindset shifted to attacking,” Hasan revealed. “We knew we needed to play fearless cricket, even if we failed at the start.

The focus was always on playing aggressive, fearless cricket.“

Born in Layyah with such a craze for cricket that it took him to Islamabad to pursue the sport professionally, Hasan rose to prominence when he finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the 2022 Kashmir Premier League season.

Rated highly by the likes of former Pakistan captains Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq, Hasan played all three formats in domestic cricket lately. On Friday, he demonstrated his ability to adapt.

“The conditions here are different,” he said of the Eden Park surface. “The spinners are easier to face, but the pacers have extra bounce, which we don’t get in domestic cricket as our pitches are lower in bounce.

“After the first two matches, I felt like things were different, but I had discussions with the coach, and we worked on the areas where we were going wrong.

With that plan, I went out today, and thankfully, I found success.“

Towards the end of Pakistan’s chase, when Hasan was nearing his century, he was accompanied by Salman at the other end, with the skipper encouraging the youngster to go for the milestone.

“Agha hit two boundaries and after that, he seemed to be encouraging me for the century,” Hasan said of his correspondence with Salman. “But I told him, ‘no, finish the match, I don’t care about the century’.

“I told him that if it was meant to be, I would get it, but my focus was on finishing the game.”

Hasan said he had received full backing from Pakistan interim head coach Aaqib Javed and selectors back home despite the poor start to his international career.

“Aaqib bhai told me, even if I get five ducks, it’s okay, the team management would believe in me,” he said. “When you receive such backing, you feel like you can achieve anything.”

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2025