Enough is enough - Time for Haris Sohail to bat at three in Tests

[mak36]

Haris has looked a class apart from the other batsmen, but unfortunately is once again being forced to bat with the tail.

Conventional wisdom tells us the best batsman should be at 3 and that is where Haris belongs so he can actually have the chance to score big and win matches for Pakistan.

By the way, it's his second fifty (and counting) in as many matches. To all the haters, not bad for an "unfit" and "average" player eh?

 

[Rayyman]

"but unfortunately is once again being forced to bat with the tail."

Yes, we need to move Haris up the order to bat with Shan Masood and Asad Shafiq.

Honestly, it depends on who is dropped and who is retained. One of Babar or Shafiq will be replaced by Usman, who should start at #6. Haris should bat at either #4 or #5.

 

[Madplayer]

He is a better batsman than anyone in the test team including Azhar Ali. Should have been a veteran by now but his important years were wasted.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

A few losses more and I am sure Mickey and co will understand what our best team combination is.

It always takes them a crisis situation to get things right.

 

[another drop catch]

not exactly 3 but he is must at no.4
after
sami aslam
ahmed shehzad and
azhar ali

 

[htariq25]

Yh he should bat 3 and azhar should open. Drop shafiq and bat usman at 4 and babar at 5

 

[Markhor]

I agree with OP - he needs time to build a longer innings. He's wasted at 6.

We can allow Azhar to bat where his game is ideal as opener again if we promote Haris to 3.

But its not the end of our problems. Positions 4 and 5 should be occupied by two rock-solid batsmen (which ain't Shafiq or Babar) given our propensity to collapses. I'd play Fawad and Salahuddin there.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Harris should be the #4 in all formats.

 

[Rana]

He is batting too low and is basically running out of partners from the word go. So yes, must bat at 3-4 and get a proper chance to pile on big runs. If we are going to stick with Asad Shafiq, its best for him to bat at number 6. Swap positions with Haris.

 

[Kroll]

He is a better batsman than anyone in the test team including Azhar Ali. Should have been a veteran by now but his important years were wasted.

It's criminal how this guy was wasted.

 

[Asimpervez]

"but unfortunately is once again being forced to bat with the tail."

Yes, we need to move Haris up the order to bat with Shan Masood and Asad Shafiq.

Honestly, it depends on who is dropped and who is retained. One of Babar or Shafiq will be replaced by Usman, who should start at #6. Haris should bat at either #4 or #5.

So true i would rather bat with the tail than bat with shafiq and masood or aslam

 

[amvbfm]

Either 3 or 4, depending on Azhar's position but definitely not 5 or 6.

 

[clean n cool]

we seemed to have found a better replacement of hafeez in harris-can bat well and very handy as a bowler.

Harris and Sarfraz should come up the order before baber and asad. They always come out when the wickets have fallen cheaply as we are under pressure

 

[Syed1]

Whichever position you send Haris he will be batting with the tail

 

[Plumb]

I am more worried about making him an all rounder and ruining his batting. He being a part timer picked up wickets in the second innings if we had a proper spinner playing we would have won both the test matches comfortably. Now we ll rely on his bowling and taking his concentration away from his batting.

 

[another drop catch]

Whichever position you send Haris he will be batting with the tail

apart from azhar ali

 

[mak36]

I agree with OP - he needs time to build a longer innings. He's wasted at 6.

We can allow Azhar to bat where his game is ideal as opener again if we promote Haris to 3.

But its not the end of our problems. Positions 4 and 5 should be occupied by two rock-solid batsmen (which ain't Shafiq or Babar) given our propensity to collapses. I'd play Fawad and Salahuddin there.

I must confess to being a little surprised by your support for Fawad.

 

[asfandyar]

I must confess to being a little surprised by your support for Fawad.

I believe Babar's dismal run has forced many posters into apostasy.

 

[mak36]

Different circumstances, but this thread still rings true.

For the test series vs England, the management seemed to have seen sense and allowed Haris to bat at three and he performed decently. However, the return of Hafeez has seen the whole batting order disrupted once again. In spite of Hafeez's century, today's display showed why this was (and is) a huge mistake.

When Azhar came in today the score was 205-1 after 63 overs. That's a R/R of 3.2 rpo. The Aussie bowlers were tiring in the heat and looked dejected. This was Pakistan's chance to make hay whilst the sun shone. That didn't happen.

By the time Azhar departed the scorecard read 244-3 after 86.5 overs with a R/R having dropped to 2.8 and the Aussies suddenly looked a little happier with their day's work. Just to underline the point in the 23.5 overs Azhar was at the crease 39 runs were scored at a R/R of 1.7 rpo.

In sum, moving Azhar to three is a huge mistake. He has the ability to blunt the new ball and bat time but lacks the ability to go through the gears as the innings progresses and/or take advantage of a platform set by the openers. Azhar has to open. It's as simple as that.

Haris is adaptable and is equally at ease batting in difficult situations as he is when there is a huge platform already set. That is what you need from your number three: dynamism.

Pakistan may well win this test but that's besides the point; they need to play their best batting order.

 

[ahmadharis1]

Different circumstances, but this thread still rings true.

For the test series vs England, the management seemed to have seen sense and allowed Haris to bat at three and he performed decently. However, the return of Hafeez has seen the whole batting order disrupted once again. In spite of Hafeez's century, today's display showed why this was (and is) a huge mistake.

When Azhar came in today the score was 205-1 after 63 overs. That's a R/R of 3.2 rpo. The Aussie bowlers were tiring in the heat and looked dejected. This was Pakistan's chance to make hay whilst the sun shone. That didn't happen.

By the time Azhar departed the scorecard read 244-3 after 86.5 overs with a R/R having dropped to 2.8 and the Aussies suddenly looked a little happier with their day's work. Just to underline the point in the 23.5 overs Azhar was at the crease 39 runs were scored at a R/R of 1.7 rpo.

In sum, moving Azhar to three is a huge mistake. He has the ability to blunt the new ball and bat time but lacks the ability to go through the gears as the innings progresses and/or take advantage of a platform set by the openers. Azhar has to open. It's as simple as that.

Haris is adaptable and is equally at ease batting in difficult situations as he is when there is a huge platform already set. That is what you need from your number three: dynamism.

Pakistan may well win this test but that's besides the point; they need to play their best batting order.

Agree 100%

Ideally the top order should be Azhar Ali opening with one of Hafeez or Imam and Haris Sohail at 3

 

[coy0607]

Different circumstances, but this thread still rings true.

For the test series vs England, the management seemed to have seen sense and allowed Haris to bat at three and he performed decently. However, the return of Hafeez has seen the whole batting order disrupted once again. In spite of Hafeez's century, today's display showed why this was (and is) a huge mistake.

When Azhar came in today the score was 205-1 after 63 overs. That's a R/R of 3.2 rpo. The Aussie bowlers were tiring in the heat and looked dejected. This was Pakistan's chance to make hay whilst the sun shone. That didn't happen.

By the time Azhar departed the scorecard read 244-3 after 86.5 overs with a R/R having dropped to 2.8 and the Aussies suddenly looked a little happier with their day's work. Just to underline the point in the 23.5 overs Azhar was at the crease 39 runs were scored at a R/R of 1.7 rpo.

In sum, moving Azhar to three is a huge mistake. He has the ability to blunt the new ball and bat time but lacks the ability to go through the gears as the innings progresses and/or take advantage of a platform set by the openers. Azhar has to open. It's as simple as that.

Haris is adaptable and is equally at ease batting in difficult situations as he is when there is a huge platform already set. That is what you need from your number three: dynamism.

Pakistan may well win this test but that's besides the point; they need to play their best batting order.

Agree with your points on Azhar -i feel his cricket is nearing an end. He's just not good enough and his cricket is deteriorating

Don't necessarily agree on Haris. He's a good bat, but he's not the messiah people here seem to think he is.
We have other talented players coming up who are much younger than Haris