We want to win both matches against Scotland: Nawaz

Young left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz are raring to go against Scotland in a two-match T20I series, scheduled to begin from Tuesday in Edinburgh.

Pakistan commenced their tour of Ireland, England and Scotland with a win in the one-off Test against Ireland, who were making their Test debut, followed by a two-Test series with England, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Now a two-match T20I series awaits the Men in Green and Nawaz revealed that the team’s focus is primarily on winning both matches.

“We want to win both the matches and that is what we are focused on doing right now. We will give our best and hopefully we will end up winning the series,” he said before adding that the visitors were not taking the home side lightly.

“This format is unpredictable, no one can say till the end who is winning and the match can turn around in just one over,” he said. “[Pakistan captain] Sarfraz and the coaches have asked everyone to get the top ranking off their mind and give maximum output to prove that we are number one.”

Meanwhile, Shaheen wants to grab the opportunity of playing for Pakistan with both hands and wants to become a regular starter for the Men in Green.

“This is a great opportunity for me to cement my place in the national side as I have gotten here after a lot of hard work,” he said. “It was not easy to make it to the national squad but to represent my homeland always excites me and makes me proud to wear the green jersey. It is a proud moment for me and my family.”

The 18-year-old rued the weather in Scotland which did not allow the Pakistan team to practice much, but Shaheen is hopeful of brushing that aside and using the conditions to their advantage.

“Here [in Scotland], the conditions are a bit tough but I have confidence in our abilities and the hard work we have put in. We did not get many days [to practice] due to the rain but we have worked on the strategies and studied weaknesses of the opposition players; so that should come in handy in the match.”