Nida Dar says she wants to become a hard-hitter like Shahid Afridi

KARACHI: Pakistan's senior all-rounder Nida Dar has opened up about her aspiration to become a hard-hitter like her cricket role model Shahid Afridi.

It was the mid-1990s when Afridi emerged as a hard-hitting batsman, with his flamboyant style of cricket leading many to emulate him, among them Gujranwala's Nida Dar.

"I always followed Shahid Afridi and wanted to be like him, that's why I play aggressively whenever I am in middle," Nida said in an exclusive interview with Geo.tv on Tuesday after her training session in Karachi.

By the time Afridi reached the twilight of his career, Nida had made debut for Pakistan. She followed her role model and got nicknamed as "Lady Boom Boom."

"People call me Lady Boom Boom now because of my aggressive style and this title gives me courage and motivation to do well for my country," she said.

Read more: Big Bash experience has Nida Dar feeling confident ahead of England series

Last year, when Nida became the first Pakistani to be signed by a Big Bash League (BBL) team, Afridi publicly acknowledged her and termed her a 'game-changer'. Nida says that was a it was a dream come true for her.

"Although I had met Afridi a couple of times before, but his encouraging tweet was a memorable moment for me. It was like a dream coming true," she recalled.

Nida has now set her eyes on scoring big for Pakistan in next month's International Cricket Council (ICC) Women's T20 World Cup. She is also working hard to improve her power hitting skills.

"I wasn't in good form recently, but I have worked hard in this camp and now I believe I have regained what I had lost. I am confident ahead of the World Cup," she said.

Nida said she wants to be the best all-rounder for Pakistan and in next month's T20 World Cup, she'll try her best to produce all-round results.

"World Cup is a big event and I want to do well. I will try to score the fastest fifty if there's an opportunity," said Nida who last year scored a half-century on 20 balls, just two deliveries short of the world record.

"Not just batting, but bowling as well, I am focused on both and want to do well in both departments, I aim to become the best all-rounder for my country," she said confidently.