Gulf News

All Zazai is batting for is a selfie with Gayle

20-year-old all-rounder is determined to put Afghanista­n on map, but that will have to wait for his moment with his idol

- BY ALARIC GOMES Chief Reporter

Exciting all-rounder Hazratulla­h Zazai says he has a two-fold target before him — and one of these will, in all likelihood, be fulfilled this week.

The 20-year-old, who cracked an awesome 124 for his maiden T20 century in Kabul Zwanan’s seven-wicket win against the Nangarhar Leopards in Tuesday’s Afghanista­n Premier League fixture, wants to meet his idol Chris Gayle.

“I want to just take a selfie with him [Gayle] as he and Hashim Amla are my heroes,” was his reply after his matchwinni­ng performanc­e.

Sent in to open alongside New Zealander Luke Ronchi, Zazai threw his bat around smashing nine sixes and a dozen fours as Kabul Zwanan made light work of a stiff target of 189 with 13 deliveries to spare.

“I think I have only just started,” he added. “I was pretty excited that the coach [Heath Streak] and captain [Rashid Khan] had the confidence to send me out there. I felt I had the right sort of momentum to play my natural game without any pressure and the shots came naturally.”

The next two big assignment­s before the internatio­nal cricket fraternity are the ICC Cricket World Cup, in England from May 30 to July 14, and the ICC World Twenty20 in Australia from October 18 to November 15, 2020.“Everyone wants to make their country proud and I am no different. I will try my best to make my way into the T20 and the one-day squads of Afghanista­n.”

 ?? Atiq Ur Rehman/Gulf News ?? Hazratulla­h Zazai
Atiq Ur Rehman/Gulf News Hazratulla­h Zazai

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