Mohammad Wasim speaking about Asif Ali:
PakPassion.net: Why is Asif Ali struggling of late?
Mohammad Wasim: Asif’s game has always been about power-hitting and in that regard, he is the best option in Pakistan. In that category you also have the likes of Khushdil Shah, but for me, Asif is one of the best power hitters in Pakistan. It’s a pity that he hasn’t been that consistent because I know him and have seen him play well in domestic cricket and he even started off well in international cricket as well. Having said that, I do feel that he needs to improve on a few things and that is something I am working with him on at the moment as he plays red-ball cricket for us.
He has all the shots but at the end of the day, it comes down to shot selection. For a batsman, it’s always nice to have many strokes but that can also be the reason for your downfall. I also feel that he has been slightly unlucky and not been consistent enough even though he was given a few chances at the international level as well. Even in this year’s National T20 Cup, he was a little off colour but then things have been tough for all players and coaches due to the prevailing circumstances brought on by COVID-19. Whilst the players involved in the national side had a good chance to play games whilst in England, the domestic players did not have that luxury during the lockdown phase earlier this year. You could clearly see in this year’s National T20 Cup that players who had played with the Pakistan side were in better shape physically and mentally as opposed to those domestic players who pretty much came into the tournament from home, after not having played cricket for a long time. So, Asif Ali was also affected by this problem and he struggled but I am hoping that he will bounce back soon.
