Asif Ali Asks For A "Proper Chance" In The National Team From The Selectors

Discarded Pakistan batsman Asif Ali has asked for a decent run in the national side from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its team selectors.

He reckons that if the selectors trust a player, and see potential in him to be a success at the international level, then they should provide him with a long rope to showcase his abilities and talent.

Asif Ali, who has been dropped from Pakistan’s ODI and T20I squads to tour England and West Indies in July-August, was featured in 20 ODIs and 29 T20Is. But, his appearances have been sparingly over a three-year period. While batting lower down the order in a finisher’s role, his record in ODIs (averaging 25.46 at a strike rate of 121.65) is decent, in T20Is (average of 16.38 while striking at 123.74) could have been better.

“If you trust someone then give him a proper chance,” Asif Ali told Cricwick.

When I get an opportunity, I will prove it: Asif Ali

During the recently-concluded PSL 2021, after playing a match-winning hand for Islamabad United of 75 runs off 43 balls bailing the team out from 20/5, Asif Ali had a strong message for the board. He fired out all cylinders against the selectors and the management for not backing him.

On Pakistan’s tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe, he played in three of seven T20Is and spent most of the time on the bench; he batted in two of them, scoring a total of 6 runs but was part of the middle-order collapse.

“… as far as my batting goes, other than Islamabad United, nobody has trusted or backed my batting. Some people think I’m a batter for just four overs. For them my message is, I am not a four-over batter. When I get an opportunity, like I did today, wherever, I will prove it,” Asif Ali said after his one of his batting heriocs during PSL 2021. 

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