Former Test cricketer and head coach of Islamabad United, Azhar Mahmood thinks that Asif Ali needs to realise the importance of mental strength.
In his recent online interview, Mahmood said Asif is a phenomenal talent but hard-hitting doesn't work every time.
"Asif Ali has got phenomenal talent. But, sometimes a player needs to understand that fours and sixes don't work all the time. You need to play your other game too," he highlighted.
Asif hasn't scored a single fifty in the 55 T20Is he has played so far for Pakistan. However, the latter has won a couple of matches for Pakistan in the Asia Cup and bilateral series.
"Asif has to deal with mental strength. Sometimes you can't go and hit the ball. I have seen Asif working on hard-hitting for hours in the nets. People expect a lot from Asif, even he himself expects a lot,
"As a player, you have to realise, sometimes it is more important to understand and have control on mental strength," the veteran of 21 Tests and 143 ODIs mentioned.
Asif scored 114 runs in nine matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season while representing Islamabad. He made his T20I debut in 2018 after an impressive performance in PSL season three.
He last featured in an international match against India at the T20 World Cup 2022 in Melbourne. He was dropped from the team due to poor performance.
- Asif Ali