Hasan Nawaz rebuilds confidence by going back to basics

Pakistan batter Hasan Nawaz says being dropped from the national team turned into an unexpected opportunity to rediscover his confidence, with domestic and local cricket playing a key role in his comeback.

The middle-order batter returned to domestic cricket after losing his place in the national side and followed a development plan prepared by head coach Mike Hesson and the coaching staff. He travelled across Punjab, playing on different grounds and against a variety of local bowlers as he worked on rebuilding his game.

The hard work eventually earned Hasan a recall, with his comeback coming against India — the same opposition against whom his previous international spell had struggled.

“When I was dropped from the team, Mike and other coaches gave me a plan, which I worked on,” Hasan told reporters at Pindi Cricket Stadium.

“I returned to basics and played with local cricketers on different grounds across Punjab.”

For Hasan, playing away from the spotlight offered valuable preparation. He believes local pitches and unfamiliar bowlers can test batters in ways that prove useful when they return to international cricket.

“As far as local grounds are concerned, there you get tough pitches and play different bowlers,” he said.

His return against India was particularly meaningful because he had been dropped while struggling against the same team. Although Pakistan eventually lost the Asian Games final by 19 runs, Hasan said his performance against the world’s top-ranked side gave him renewed belief.

“There is no hiding that they are the number one team in the world currently, and performing against them gives me a lot of confidence,” he said.

Pakistan, chasing 212 at Nisshin, finished on 192-6 and had to settle for silver. Hasan admitted the defeat was painful but attributed it to mistakes at crucial moments.

“We couldn’t win the match, which was a sad feeling. It was a close game, we lost it by making some silly mistakes,” he said.

Having arrived in Japan after the Caribbean Premier League determined to contribute, Hasan now hopes his return can become the foundation for a more consistent international run.