Mohsin Ali
ISLAMABAD: Maaz Sadaqat may not have been named in Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming One-day International tri-series involving England and Sri Lanka, but the left-handed batter has already set his sights on the 2027 World Cup.
The 21-year-old enhanced his growing reputation during the recently concluded three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, where he struck back-to-back half-centuries in the opening two games and played a major role in Pakistan’s series win.
His performances also underlined Pakistan’s move towards a more attacking method in T20 cricket, with Maaz quickly becoming one of the prominent faces of that approach.
In the first T20I, he made 50 from 29 balls, helping Pakistan recover from a slow powerplay in partnership with captain Sahibzada Farhan. He followed it with a blistering 96 off 51 deliveries in the second match, hitting seven sixes and six fours as he narrowly missed out on a maiden international hundred.
However, his latest run in Pakistan colours will have to wait, as he has been left out of the ODI squad despite already playing six matches in the format since making his debut earlier this year.
Maaz had made an immediate impression in his second ODI, scoring 75 and taking three wickets with his left-arm spin against Bangladesh. But he was unable to sustain that form in the home series against Australia in May-June, recording scores of eight, zero and 27 on challenging surfaces.
The reasons for his exclusion from the squad for the forthcoming tri-series remain unclear. The break, nevertheless, gives him time to work on his game with the 2027 World Cup in view.
“I am targeting the ODI World Cup and I am preparing for it,” Maaz said in a video interview released by the Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday. “I have a 15-20-day window coming up which I am going to dedicate to working on myself for the World Cup.”
The Peshawar-born cricketer, who came through tape-ball cricket before making his mark as a franchise T20 performer, has continued to impress in domestic and international cricket. He also scored two centuries in the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League season.
Maaz said his development depends on sharpening his strengths rather than spending too much time worrying about weaknesses.
“[In training] I try to work as much as I can on my strengths and less on my weaknesses, because if the ball is out of my range, I’d still be able to push it for a single or two,” he said. “However, if it is in my range, then I can hit it for six with my eyes closed.
“If you watch both my CPL and international knocks, I keep a positive intent from the very start.
“And if the ball comes in my range then I don’t spare it. And when a ball is a bit here or there, I try to rotate the strike.”
Maaz has previously maintained that he is ready to bat anywhere in the order, but he acknowledged that opening the innings remains his preferred role.
“I feel the most comfortable playing as an opener,” he said.
If selected for Pakistan’s 2027 World Cup squad, Maaz could find himself competing for an opening position with Saim Ayub, who is averaging nearly 47, and seasoned batter Fakhar Zaman.
For Maaz, the competition is a challenge to embrace rather than a discouragement.
“Even if I am asked to bat lower in the order, I’ll try to bat so well that they [team management] are forced to push me higher,” he said.
