Pakistan legend Wasim Akram has voiced strong concerns over the way young batter Hassan Nawaz is being handled by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management, saying the country is “wasting” one of its brightest modern T20 prospects.
Akram made the remark while on commentary during the ILT20 clash between Desert Vipers and MI Emirates. Watching the youngster walk in late in the innings, the legendary pacer expressed his frustration at how both Pakistan’s team management and franchise setups have handled the 23-year-old.
“If you ask me, I think they are wasting Hassan Nawaz. He’s such a talented player!” Akram said live on air, pointing out that the batter is repeatedly being pushed into a role that does not suit his natural game.
Hassan Nawaz, known for his explosive top-order hitting, earned his international debut earlier this year after a breakthrough PSL season. He was initially brought in as an opener during Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand, replacing the injured Saim Ayub, and despite a shaky start, he smashed the fastest T20I hundred ever by a Pakistani batter.
Yet as the months passed and the likes of Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, and Babar Azam returned to the lineup, Hassan gradually lost his place at the top. Instead of being groomed as a long-term opener or middle-order anchor, he was pushed into the lower order and asked to slog from ball one.
The trend has continued in the ILT20, where he is again being used as a late-innings hitter for the Desert Vipers, struggling to make an impact in a role far from his strengths.
