Haris Sohail does not belong in the middle order

[Usman Chadda]

This just will not work out, ever. Dropping Faheem has totally destroyed the balance of the line-up. Momentum completely shifted as soon as Haris came to the crease and played out those dot balls. His game is suited to the top 3, otherwise he has no place in the team at all.

Faheem as a pacer would have been handy today. Really disappointing team selection.

 

[Rayyman]

Better than that hack from IU

 

[ManFan]

So...

drop Sarfraz
drop Haris
drop UKS
dropped Amir

Who's next?

 

[Ned Flanders]

Asif is the one ruining the balance of the team.

 

[Usman Chadda]

So...

drop Sarfraz
drop Haris
drop UKS
dropped Amir

Who's next?

This is not a knee jerk thread mate. Haris is a very good player of pace bowling, but a dud against spin. Its unfair to stick him in the middle-order, while dropping the only all-rounder we have in Faheem Ashraf. I can wager that if Faheem was available as an option, Afghanistan wasn't getting anything above 220.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Nor Asif or Haris belongs to the international arena.

 

[New Yorker]

This just will not work out, ever. Dropping Faheem has totally destroyed the balance of the line-up. Momentum completely shifted as soon as Haris came to the crease and played out those dot balls. His game is suited to the top 3, otherwise he has no place in the team at all.

Faheem as a pacer would have been handy today. Really disappointing team selection.

Haris averaged 50 in NZ when everyone but Fakhar was falling like nine pins around him. He has 5 consecutive 50's going into this game. I like Faheem, but the problem of brittle batting was evident from the last game, and Faheem has neither shown grit nor ability to smash it big. Haris is worth persisting with, and I like this XI more than the previous. Nawaz clearly has to play, and Shaheen already looks better than Amir.

 

[Plumb]

I am losing confidence in him. He was brought in with lots of hypes and "talent" so far below average

 

[zeusathon]

He should be batting in top 3/4 and should not be asked to bat in 40+ overs regardless of his position. Asif is the one to be checked. He only offers few slogs with no bowling ability. Hafeez is much better there.

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

completely agree

he has no place with Babar and Imam in the team

Id have him for imam but that isnt happening

 

[Majid Khan]

The guy looks below average, if he was anything special, then given the chances he has had, Haris Sohail would have scored a couple of match winning 100s at least by now to show his worth.

Haris has played 41 innings for Pakistan in all formats of the game and yet to score a 100 - not quite the signs of the great batsman given all the hype around him.

 

[nextover666666]

Maybe they rested Faheem for India match, its tough who to drop, should Haris play the India match he plays spin very weakly

 

[Ned Flanders]

The guy looks below average, if he was anything special, then given the chances he has had, Haris Sohail would have scored a couple of match winning 100s at least by now to show his worth.

Haris has played 41 innings for Pakistan in all formats of the game and yet to score a 100 - not quite the signs of the great batsman given all the hype around him.

He doesn't even have a 100 in List A cricket if I remember correctly, or if he does he only has one.

But he's a player that'll chip in with 50-70.

I remember he won us a match in his first series coming in at number 5 and he scored 85.

 

[Syed1]

I hope Shadab comes in place of UKS and then we somehow need to bring Fahim in, perhaps in the place of Haris or Asif. Doesn't help that captain is in full on tailender mode at the moment and batting at 5/6.

 

[Majid Khan]

He doesn't even have a 100 in List A cricket if I remember correctly, or if he does he only has one.

But he's a player that'll chip in with 50-70.

I remember he won us a match in his first series coming in at number 5 and he scored 85.

Looks like has a decent first class batting record with an average touching 50, so maybe he should be given a chance at test cricket if anything rather than forcing him to play attacking strokes in limited overs which does not look like it comes naturally to him.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Haris averaged 50 in NZ when everyone but Fakhar was falling like nine pins around him. He has 5 consecutive 50's going into this game. I like Faheem, but the problem of brittle batting was evident from the last game, and Faheem has neither shown grit nor ability to smash it big. Haris is worth persisting with, and I like this XI more than the previous. Nawaz clearly has to play, and Shaheen already looks better than Amir.

Hafeez had as many fifties as Haris, at a similar SR, yet Hafeez was bashed while Haris was lauded. Haris is the best player of pace bowling in this team but MO was never his game. We will shatter his confidence, when he inevitably just cannot be the MO bat we want him to be.

This line-up had no sixth bowler. India will murder us to oblivion if we play the same team on Sunday. Need Faheem and Shadab back ASAP to provide much needed balance. Faheem for Haris and Shadab for Shinwari are the two changes I'll make.

 

[Pete Rose]

No odi team can prosper if they have haris, babar, Sarfaraz, imam, and Malik in the line up. That’s too many people playing at the same strike rate

 

[Usman Chadda]

No odi team can prosper if they have haris, babar, Sarfaraz, imam, and Malik in the line up. That’s too many people playing at the same strike rate

Spot on

 

[Ned Flanders]

Hafeez had as many fifties as Haris, at a similar SR, yet Hafeez was bashed while Haris was lauded. Haris is the best player of pace bowling in this team but MO was never his game. We will shatter his confidence, when he inevitably just cannot be the MO bat we want him to be.

This line-up had no sixth bowler. India will murder us to oblivion if we play the same team on Sunday. Need Faheem and Shadab back ASAP to provide much needed balance. Faheem for Haris and Shadab for Shinwari are the two changes I'll make.

And you're going to keep a walking wicket in your XI? It's not easy to score at a strike rate of 150, Asif Ali is useless on these pitches .

 

[Usman Chadda]

And you're going to keep a walking wicket in your XI? It's not easy to score at a strike rate of 150, Asif Ali is useless on these pitches .

Asif provides something different to Haris. He is a bit thick in the head, but he has hardly played much to pass any sort of judgment. Haris has no business in the ODI team unless he bats in the top three.

 

[Haleem-ul-Hassan]

Absolutely. The ONLY place I can think of for Harris would be no 3, and that would only happen if Babar opens with Fakhar. He does not have the game to fit anywhere else. Maybe he is better off at the bench till we actually find a good middle order batsmen that we desperately need.

 

[sali]

He should come in #3 followed by Babar, Malik, Sarfraz, Nawaz, Shadab, And 3 pace bowlers.

 

[Ned Flanders]

Asif provides something different to Haris. He is a bit thick in the head, but he has hardly played much to pass any sort of judgment. Haris has no business in the ODI team unless he bats in the top three.

I see your point but the only batsmen who have been successful on these pitches are those that take their time to get settled in.

 

[Rayyman]

Asif provides something different to Haris. He is a bit thick in the head, but he has hardly played much to pass any sort of judgment. Haris has no business in the ODI team unless he bats in the top three.

Absolutely. The ONLY place I can think of for Harris would be no 3, and that would only happen if Babar opens with Fakhar. He does not have the game to fit anywhere else. Maybe he is better off at the bench till we actually find a good middle order batsmen that we desperately need.

The thing is, we could easily be 30/2 early on against India and that is where Haris would be needed.

I am sure that there is a higher chance of Pak. 30/2 in 8 overs instead of 200/4 in 35 overs.

 

[Usman Chadda]

I see your point but the only batsmen who have been successful on these pitches are those that take their time to get settled in.

Haris has a non-existent game against spin. Rashid was all over him like a rash, prompting Babar to attempt an audacious drive against instinct. Take out that under-edged four and have a look at what Haris Sohail managed today before throwing his wicket away. Unfair hai is pe. He's a top order batsman made into a qurbaani ka baqra

 

[Sirris]

Haris Sohail's good days are gone or rather have been wasted by poor management. It is time to move on. I know he invested a lot time, energy and effort in his come back but I just don't feel confident everytime he is out to bat.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Haris is being wasted in our ODI team. The only way he can be useful is at 3. He is good against pace and will have time to pace his innings. But that will only be possible once Fakhar and Babar open the innings just like they do in T20's.

 

[Ned Flanders]

The thing is, we could easily be 30/2 early on against India and that is where Haris would be needed.

I am sure that there is a higher chance of Pak. 30/2 in 8 overs instead of 200/4 in 35 overs.

30/2 ko choro bhai.

We were 3/2

If Malik hadn't gotten run out then we may have scored more.

 

[ads101]

He's fine at 4 IMO averages 50, at over 80 SR there. Shouldn't be batting lower than 4 but 4 is fine.

You could bat him at 3, and demote Babar down to 4. But honestly think his position is fine. It's his first match back so we can cut him some slack, and I assume he's fit enough and passed the yo-yo test, so all's good. 4 really isn't that low down.

 

[Usman Chadda]

He's fine at 4 IMO averages 50, at over 80 SR there. Shouldn't be batting lower than 4 but 4 is fine.

You could bat him at 3, and demote Babar down to 4. But honestly think his position is fine. It's his first match back so we can cut him some slack, and I assume he's fit enough and passed the yo-yo test, so all's good. 4 really isn't that low down.

What about the fact that he leaves us a sixth bowler short?

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

No 4 should not be his position but for now (as Imam scored and Babar wont open) i will play him. Would rather trust haris at 40/2 than Malik, Sarfraz or Asif.

 

[ads101]

What about the fact that he leaves us a sixth bowler short?

Currently I might drop him as I think we need two spinners, so if Shadab returns might be better to play both Nawaz and Shadab, and Nawaz at 7. Though I do feel it makes our batting really weak. More talking if hypothetically if he was playing as a batsman, if it's fine if he plays at 4 or not as opposed to top order.

In UK though, we might get away with playing Haris and relying on the part timers, Malik, Haris, Fakhar making up 10 overs.

And if Shadab remains injured, I'd keep Haris in the side.

I mean even today, Malik and Haris, the part timers were less expensive 3 of our full time bowlers. And allowed us to play an extra batsman which strengthened our batting line up. So it kind of worked out.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Currently I might drop him as I think we need two spinners, so if Shadab returns might be better to play both Nawaz and Shadab, and Nawaz at 7. Though I do feel it makes our batting really weak. More talking if hypothetically if he was playing as a batsman, if it's fine if he plays at 4 or not as opposed to top order.

In UK though, we might get away with playing Haris and relying on the part timers, Malik, Haris, Fakhar making up 10 overs.

And if Shadab remains injured, I'd keep Haris in the side.

I mean even today, Malik and Haris, the part timers were less expensive 3 of our full time bowlers. And allowed us to play an extra batsman which strengthened our batting line up. So it kind of worked out.

No it did not work out at all. Haris and Malik bowled at a stage when Afghanistan batters were doing jack and looking to plod along. Yet they both conceded a little more than 5 RPO and provided respite to the Afghani batters at the crease. This Pakistan team cannot do without both Faheem and Shadab. Both must play for the balance of the side. Haris should only play if Babar suffers a massive loss of form or he opens in place of Imam.

 

[ads101]

No 4 should not be his position but for now (as Imam scored and Babar wont open) i will play him. Would rather trust haris at 40/2 than Malik, Sarfraz or Asif.

Yeah this is the thing. I think the top 4 should ideally be filled with guys with decent technique who can set a platform. You can have maybe one aggressive, less technical batsman up top like Fakhar, but the rest need to reliably be able to set a platform regardless of difficult conditions/tough bowling. And I think Haris is probably the most equipped especially against fast bowling with Babar to do that.

I don't like Malik coming in at 4, the later he comes in the better as he likes spin and when the ball is older. Sarfraz is the same to an extent. Asif you want him to concentrate on hitting most of the time, so you never really want him coming early.

 

[usmanraheel]

I really love Harris, he has so much time to play fast bowling and possesses great technique. But , i dont know if he is fit to play on these sluggish slow pitches in UAE. I would like to see him in the team set-up, but i find it hard for us to play players that get bogged down so easily.

Imam , Babar, Harris, Sarfraz. These players either need too much time to settle in or have a hard time rotating the strike and we can't afford that especially with how cricket is played nowadays.

I would want Sarfraz to be dropped for a keeper who can actually hit the ball well.

Harris would be a great player to have in your top three for the World Cup

 

[in_cutter]

But but but....he averages in 50 in domestic cricket & plays with a beautiful straight bat.

 

[gazza619]

Gosh cut the crap and stop making excuses. He does not belong to international cricket. He is good for a cute 20 or 30. He is good player in the nets and thats it. The sooner we get rid of him the better.

 

[in_cutter]

He doesn’t belong in this side. Full stop.

Lazy, rubbish in the field & poor temperament.

 

[Shaka81]

It's weird how some people are so eager to back players on potential and mythical runs whilst other players are criticised for lack of talent when they are backed by actual runs and performances.... I have no problem with players like Haris and the Umars, Amin and Akmal, before him but surely at some point these guys have to start producing performances or do we just keep supporting them based on fairy tales of magical talent they have which just needs to be constantly developed. Also Haris seems to be a terrible fielder and drops a lot of catches.

 

[Abdullah719]

Good numbers vs spin.

 

[miandadrules]

He should be batting at 4.

Hafeez should bat at 6 or sit out.