Ready to be a part of Yellow Storm

Danish Aziz has set his eyes on becoming an asset for Peshawar Zalmi

Danish Aziz’s name has been making the rounds as the one to look out for as he plans to debut his Black and Yellow jersey for Peshawar Zalmi in this year’s Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The 27-year-old has previously represented Karachi Kings, Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United, where he played a few memorable knocks and took a few crucial wickets.

Aziz is all excited to don Zalmi colours in the upcoming season of the league as the former PSL champions have been quite impressive in all the editions played so far.

“I am excited about wearing Zalmi’s jersey this season. Their game is generally more aggressive and interesting, so I am looking forward to playing with a more attacking approach rather than a defensive game,” said Aziz while talking to Bol News.

Moreover, this year around, Zalmi will be led by Pakistan’s skipper and star batter Babar Azam, which is an exciting prospect for the fans as well as for the team.

“I can’t wait to share the dressing room with Babar Azam,” he said. “Of course, having the current Pakistan captain on your side is a massive advantage and then to be able to play with him, bounce ideas off of him and most importantly show him what I am made of is keeping me motivated.”

Aziz was born into a Memon family, who loved cricket. His elder brother was already a First Class cricketer, which made it easier for the aspiring batter to convince his father and siblings to allow him to follow his passion.

“My father, who has a textile mill of his own, has always regretted not being able to tap into his sporty side. He supported us to play so that he could fulfil those dreams through us,” he maintained.

The progress

The left-handed batter started playing cricket when he was in school. As he was a gifted player, he climbed up the ranks and went on to represent the Pakistan U19 team.

He later made his First-Class debut for Karachi Dolphins in 2014, T20 and List A debut for Karachi Whites in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

After putting up impressive performances in the domestic circuit, he was called to make his international debut in April 2021 in an ODI against South Africa at Centurion.

In the same month, he played his first T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare. However, the Karachi-born was given merely two chances in both formats before dropping him from the team.

Aziz had started his career as a top-order batter but later had to go down the order as he wanted to focus on his spin bowling as well. Still, he believes he can bat at any number, depending on the requirement of the team.

“I used to play as a top-order batter then had to focus on spin bowling so was dropped down the middle order and even now I know I am capable of playing as an opener or a one-down batsman,” he stated. “Evolution is essential for survival in the game and I am quite comfortable with changing my game to suit the needs of the team.”

 Inspiration

Aziz has played under the supervision of players like Sarfaraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq who helped him improve his game. He believes he was lucky to be surrounded by such players, who could impact his game with their experience, talent and resilience.

Meanwhile, talking about his inspiration, the left-handed batter named Sri Lanka’s legend Kumar Sangakkara as someone who he looks up to.

“I have massive respect for Kumar Sangakkara and his game,” he stated. “His cover drives are the stuff of legends and I wish to play that shot like him one day.”

‘Ready to perform’

At the moment, Aziz is focused on putting up his best show during the upcoming season of the showcase league. He is ready to play whatever role is required by the team.

“Of course, every player wishes to be of value to the team they are playing for,” he mentioned. “But in the end, it is the team management that decides the final XI and gives different roles to different players. All I know is that if the responsibility ever falls on me, I should be ready to perform and do what is required of me.”

The 27-year-old is heading into the tournament with just one thought in mind and that is to win his team matches. He has not set any individual goals, such as the number of runs he should score or the number of wickets he should take.

“As a middle-order batter, it is my job to adapt to the situation and work with whatever plan the team management has come up with. I don’t have to set my eyes on the number of runs I need to score or batters I need to get out,” he shared. “There’s no point in setting those targets, the target should always be to play an integral part in the team’s success and perform as and when required so that those around you know that they can depend on you.”