An Oddsworth Opinion
The Caribbean hundreds behind Maaz Sadaqat's month of T20 runs
The story
Wisden holds up Maaz Sadaqat's 96 off 51 balls in the second T20I against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi as the latest proof of a heavy month of scoring that nearly brought another hundred, and argues the Pakistan opener's T20 form now demands attention.
Wisden · 12 October at 09:46 BST451 runs & nearly a third hundred within a month: Pakistan sensation’s T20 form is hard to ignoreRead the full storyMaaz Sadaqat's 96 off 51 balls against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi on Sunday has Wisden arguing that his T20 form can no longer be passed over. The form is real. Its map is worth a look, though. His only two T20 hundreds both came in September for Jamaica Kingsmen in the Caribbean Premier League: a 112 off 49 balls against Barbados Tridents and a 114 off 58 against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.
Four innings in Pakistan colours
His international month is four innings long. He made 15 against Bangladesh, then 23 off 18 balls against India in a game Pakistan lost by 19 runs. After that came a 50 off 29 and Sunday's 96, both against a Sri Lanka side Pakistan beat twice, the second time by 82 runs. Two quiet starts and two big innings against the same opponent make a fine ten days. Set beside the leading T20I batters, whose standing is built over seasons against every attack, it is a short audition with one good review.
Career average 32.1
Is he as good as the month suggests?
Over a longer stretch, yes. He has played 37 T20 matches since May 2025, for Pakistan and in the franchise leagues, and his form has followed him round the circuit like a dog that will not stay at home. The September hundreds sit inside a record that holds up wherever he goes.
Our ratings make him the second-best batter in the CPL and the third-best in the PSL. He sits near the top of the batting lists in Bangladesh and Nepal as well, so bowlers in four different leagues have had the same trouble with him. A batter who only flourished on Caribbean pitches would not rank so high in Pakistan's own league.
Where should Pakistan bat him?
Pakistan sit fifth of ten in our men's T20 team ratings. They are good enough to beat Sri Lanka twice in a week and still short of India. The space between those results is where an opener like this earns his place. Four innings for Pakistan prove little on their own, while two years of runs across four leagues prove a great deal. He should open for Pakistan from here on, and the next time they meet India, his 23 off 18 balls is the innings he has to better.