'Hitting hard is a rare gift, he has acquired that' - Matthew Hayden lauds Asif Ali for match-winning performances

Former Australia opener and currently Pakistan’s batting consultant Matthew Hayden lauded Asif Ali after he scripted back-to-back match-winning cameos in the T20 World Cup 2021. Hayden reckoned that Asif has the rare gift of hard-hitting at the death, which was well on display against New Zealand and Afghanistan when he bailed Pakistan out of trouble to keep their winning run intact.

Asif smashed three sixes and a four in his unbeaten 27 off just 12 against New Zealand to take Pakistan through with eight balls to spare when the opponent bowlers had put them under pressure for the larger part of their 135-run chase. A similar story unfolded against Afghanistan when Asif smashed four sixes off Karim Janat in his unbeaten 7-ball 25 that took Pakistan across the line with an over to spare after a tense passage of play where they lost wickets in quick succession.

“Yes, talent should be there, but the ability to strike at the death is more of a mindset than talent. Only a few have such abilities. Hitting and hitting hard is a rare gift and Asif has acquired that,” Hayden told Times of India. “Few players have raw power and it’s difficult to coach power… Asif has that.”

Asked if Asif can become a finisher like MS Dhoni in the future, Hayden said: “You should remember, there is only one Dhoni or one Kohli. Everyone writes his own future and if Asif has his time, he too will write his own.”

Speaking about Misbah-ul-Haq’s role in his playing career, Asif stated: “I started playing with Misbah-bhai for Faisalabad and he always had a big role to play in my career. When he became the Pakistan coach, he worked very hard with me and it has worked.”

“Of late, I have been doing specific training with the coaches simulating the last five to seven overs of a game. That has also helped me get the job done,” Asif said of his ability to give the ball a whack under pressure situations.

He did not shy away from taking a dig at his naysayers. “When statisticians say that a middle-order batter hasn’t scored much in T20 cricket, they should also mention when he came in to bat.”