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Missing from Pakistan's T20I side after their loss to India at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in T20 World Cup 2022, Asif Ali has proved he can clear big grounds in ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) 2022-23. Asif almost pulled off an unlikely win in rain-curtailed encounter with a lightning fast 13-ball 41 for Hobart Hurricanes against Sydney Sixers on December 22.
Asif came in to bat in the 11th over of the match when Hurricanes needed 65 more runs to win from 21 deliveries. He started off with two singles off Sean Abbott who had dismissed James Neesham. In the next over, he hit Naveen-ul-Haq for two fours.
In the last two overs, Hurricanes needed 49 runs to win. Tim David's wicket in the penultimate over put more pressure of Asif to hit big. He got the strike on the third ball and decided to take the aerial route. He started off with a six over deep mid-wicket. He threw his bat on the next and got a four via edge. He followed it up for two more sixes to liven up the Sydney crowd.
Naveen was given the responsibility to defend 22 runs off the final over. He started off with a wide down the leg which got Asif on the strike. Asif hit a boundary over cover. Hurricanes needed 16 off the last five deliveries. With Asif at the crease it looked possible but he could not send a slower delivery flying over the ropes and got caught by Jordan Silk at mid-wicket boundary.
Asif scored with a mind-boggling strike rate of 315.38. His cameo included four fours and three sixes. The impact cameo came after two single-digit scores in his first two appearances for Hobart.
In the end, it was too much an ask from Paris and Nathan Ellis to hit the big shots off Naveen. Paris ended the game with a six but Sydney won the game by a small margin of six runs.
Chasing a target of 138 in 14 overs, Hurricanes posted 131/7 as most of their big guns did not fire. Opener Ben McDermott turned out to be the second-highest run-scorer with a 13-ball 17. Designated finishers David (8) and Neesham (5) registered single-digit scores as well.
