"Haris Sohail is best ever left-handed middle-order Pakistani batsman" : Mohammad Yousuf

[Mehndi155]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Also <a href="https://twitter.com/iHarisSohail?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iharissohail</a> is best ever left handed middle order pakistani batsman, huge talent & good technique</p>— Mohammad Yousaf (@yousaf1788) <a href="https://twitter.com/yousaf1788/status/1144285674851524609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Do you Agree With Him?

He can play 90 mph with such easy - Very classy ,elegant temperemantly very strong.

 

[Syed1]

I'm straining to remember a good left handed middle order batsman through the 2000s. Can't remember any name that stands out. In the 90s we had folks like Yousuf (Youhana at that time), Maindad, Salim Malik, Inzi etc. All right handed.

 

[trickyone]

I'm straining to remember a good left handed middle order batsman through the 2000s. Can't remember any name that stands out. In the 90s we had folks like Yousuf (Youhana at that time), Maindad, Salim Malik, Inzi etc. All right handed.

Asim Kamal could have been one if there was no grouping against Karachi players...

 

[Syed1]

Asim Kamal could have been one if there was no grouping against Karachi players...

I thought of Asim Kamal but he didn't play long enough to be classified as best ever lefty middle order bat. Never knew why he was discarded so quickly despite scoring 99 on debut in SA.

 

[PakLFC]

Asim Kamal was decent as well. Fawad Alam did not get a proper chance where as Umar Amin failed to impress. The late Wasim Raja in the 1970's and 80's was the most talented in my opinion but did not do justice to his awesome talent, even IK has often said this too. This guy would regularly hit the great West Indian pacers out of the park without wearing a helmet.

 

[Arsalan Pro]

Being the best left handed middle order batsmen from Pakistan is hardly a great achievement if you look at who he is competing with.

Babar Azam and Haris Sohail will end their careers as the Top 5 batsmen ever produced by Pakistan across all formats, given their class and consistency.

 

[Savak]

Haris Sohail based on what i have seen has a problem with the short pitched delivery directed at his body, top teams will make note of this and work him out. Even Fakhar has the same problem. Saeed Anwar in comparison was a complete batsman with all the shots in the book

 

[Aaaaa]

Let him perform consistently first.

 

[big_gamer007]

Isn't he like the ONLY left handed middle order bat Pakistan has produced? Hardly an achievement to be the best batsman in Pakistan the standards throughout history have been abysmal. I think Wasim the batsman was probably the best before this that's how low Pakistani batting standards have been.

Haris is good player though, injuries and team selection didn't let him fulfil his true potential but whatever time be has left now he should make full use of it.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Asim Kamal, Fawad Alam were not given a long run.

 

[Mehndi155]

Haris Sohail based on what i have seen has a problem with the short pitched delivery directed at his body, top teams will make note of this and work him out. Even Fakhar has the same problem. Saeed Anwar in comparison was a complete batsman with all the shots in the book

Saeed anwar was opener here we are talking about Middle order
Yep i agree with u he has problems on short pitch bowling but he can whack 90mph our point. He is slowly improving.
He played short bowl very well other day

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Lefty middle order batsman are rare.
The whole subcontinent hasn't produced many lefties
The best from asia are:
Ganguly
Yuvraj
Shakib
There aren't many.

 

[Hasan123]

Lefty middle order batsman are rare.
The whole subcontinent hasn't produced many lefties
The best from asia are:
Ganguly
Yuvraj
Shakib
There aren't many.

Sangakara is better than all of those. )

Also Sannath is up there in terms of Asian lefties.

 

[jeetu]

Asian Left handed batsman in batting position 3 to 7
min 500 runs in test

[table=width: 500, class: grid, align: center]
[tr][td]Player [/td][td]Span [/td][td]Mat [/td][td]Runs [/td][td]Ave [/td][td]100 [/td][td]50 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KC Sangakkara (SL) [/td][td]2000-2015 [/td][td]130 [/td][td]12138 [/td][td]58.35 [/td][td]38 [/td][td]51 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]VG Kambli (INDIA) [/td][td]1993-1995 [/td][td]17 [/td][td]1084 [/td][td]54.2 [/td][td]4 [/td][td]3 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]RR Pant (INDIA) [/td][td]2018-2019 [/td][td]9 [/td][td]696 [/td][td]49.71 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]2 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]HP Tillakaratne (SL) [/td][td]1989-2004 [/td][td]82 [/td][td]4524 [/td][td]43.08 [/td][td]11 [/td][td]20 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]SC Ganguly (INDIA) [/td][td]1996-2008 [/td][td]113 [/td][td]7201 [/td][td]42.35 [/td][td]16 [/td][td]35 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Mominul Haque (BDESH) [/td][td]2013-2019 [/td][td]35 [/td][td]2529 [/td][td]42.15 [/td][td]8 [/td][td]12 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]MDKJ Perera (SL) [/td][td]2015-2019 [/td][td]13 [/td][td]814 [/td][td]40.7 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]4 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Shakib Al Hasan (BDESH) [/td][td]2007-2018 [/td][td]55 [/td][td]3797 [/td][td]40.39 [/td][td]5 [/td][td]24 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Haris Sohail (PAK) [/td][td]2017-2018 [/td][td]10 [/td][td]726 [/td][td]40.33 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]2 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AP Gurusinha (SL) [/td][td]1985-1996 [/td][td]36 [/td][td]2002 [/td][td]37.77 [/td][td]5 [/td][td]6 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Asim Kamal (PAK) [/td][td]2003-2005 [/td][td]12 [/td][td]717 [/td][td]37.73 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]8 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Wasim Raja (PAK) [/td][td]1973-1985 [/td][td]57 [/td][td]2820 [/td][td]37.1 [/td][td]4 [/td][td]18 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]A Ranatunga (SL) [/td][td]1982-2000 [/td][td]93 [/td][td]5071 [/td][td]36.22 [/td][td]4 [/td][td]38 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Yuvraj Singh (INDIA) [/td][td]2003-2012 [/td][td]39 [/td][td]1885 [/td][td]34.27 [/td][td]3 [/td][td]11 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]ST Jayasuriya (SL) [/td][td]1991-2007 [/td][td]26 [/td][td]1041 [/td][td]33.58 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]6 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]S Ranatunga (SL) [/td][td]1994-1997 [/td][td]9 [/td][td]531 [/td][td]33.18 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]2 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Junaid Siddique (BDESH) [/td][td]2008-2010 [/td][td]12 [/td][td]749 [/td][td]31.2 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]5 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AL Wadekar (INDIA) [/td][td]1966-1974 [/td][td]37 [/td][td]2113 [/td][td]31.07 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]14 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]S Amarnath (INDIA) [/td][td]1976-1978 [/td][td]10 [/td][td]523 [/td][td]30.76 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]3 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]N Dickwella (SL) [/td][td]2014-2019 [/td][td]30 [/td][td]1434 [/td][td]29.26 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]10 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]RF Surti (INDIA) [/td][td]1961-1969 [/td][td]20 [/td][td]988 [/td][td]29.05 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]7 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]ED Solkar (INDIA) [/td][td]1969-1977 [/td][td]23 [/td][td]914 [/td][td]26.88 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]5 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]SK Raina (INDIA) [/td][td]2010-2015 [/td][td]18 [/td][td]768 [/td][td]26.48 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]7 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Shahriar Nafees (BDESH) [/td][td]2005-2012 [/td][td]15 [/td][td]739 [/td][td]26.39 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]5 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]PA Patel (INDIA) [/td][td]2002-2018 [/td][td]20 [/td][td]589 [/td][td]25.6 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]2 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]SA Durani (INDIA) [/td][td]1961-1973 [/td][td]26 [/td][td]918 [/td][td]25.5 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]6 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Asif Mujtaba (PAK) [/td][td]1986-1997 [/td][td]25 [/td][td]928 [/td][td]24.42 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]8 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]RG Nadkarni (INDIA) [/td][td]1955-1968 [/td][td]22 [/td][td]633 [/td][td]24.34 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]3 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]HDRL Thirimanne (SL) [/td][td]2013-2017 [/td][td]22 [/td][td]895 [/td][td]24.18 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]4 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Wasim Akram (PAK) [/td][td]1987-2000 [/td][td]31 [/td][td]738 [/td][td]23.8 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AH Kardar (INDIA/PAK) [/td][td]1946-1958 [/td][td]25 [/td][td]856 [/td][td]23.77 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]5 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]RP Arnold (SL) [/td][td]1997-2004 [/td][td]36 [/td][td]1136 [/td][td]22.27 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]7 [/td][/tr]
[/table]

 

[Hawkeye]

Apart from Sangakkara, there was no great middle order lefty in the entire subcontinent.

Haris, if fitness permits and plays a long career, might become the best from the subcontinent.

 

[IAJ]

Shukr hai Asad Shafiq ka bukhaar Yousuf bhai sey utr gaya hai.

 

[QalandarFan]

Being the best left handed middle order batsmen from Pakistan is hardly a great achievement if you look at who he is competing with.

Babar Azam and Haris Sohail will end their careers as the Top 5 batsmen ever produced by Pakistan across all formats, given their class and consistency.

Babar with age and fitness on his side can end up as our most prolific batsman ever. Hopefully injury does not keep Haris from reaching his potential can not afford anymore at this point since he is already 30.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Sangakara is better than all of those. )

Also Sannath is up there in terms of Asian lefties.

Sanga was a top order batsman,sanath was an opener.

 

[Bewal Express]

Haris Sohail based on what i have seen has a problem with the short pitched delivery directed at his body, top teams will make note of this and work him out. Even Fakhar has the same problem. Saeed Anwar in comparison was a complete batsman with all the shots in the book

He gets into trouble against the Short ball because he crouches a little too much. He isnt bad at ducking and that will serve him fine in tests(most of the time) but in odis on bouncier tracks it will get him into trouble.

 

[Abdullah719]

Not exactly a lot of competition on that front.

 

[hadi123]

How good this guy could have been if not for injuries. Let's hope he stays fit for the forseeable future. Bye Bye Malik

 

[Markhor]

The only other top class middle order leftie I can think of is Rambo's older brother.

 

[aukhan]

Don't think the list will be long. The only left hander i remember was Umar Amin and Asim Kamal.

 

[Leeon1994]

Only if Sir Fawad Bradman Alam was given more chances...

 

[Syed1]

Only if Sir Fawad Bradman Alam was given more chances...

Yeah with that hockey full back technique he surely would have taken amazing penalty corners at the batting crease

 

[hur rizvi]

I hope Haris plays at least 50 tests and 150 odis

He is undoubtedly best middle order leftie we have produced

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Haris Sohail "comparisons to former players will only create pressure for us. Babar and I just want to keep things simple and try to play even better in the upcoming matches" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC19</a> <a href="https://t.co/wTpQH8fskg">pic.twitter.com/wTpQH8fskg</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1144609801965584384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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[Syed1]

Who is comparing them to mediocre Younis and Misbah????

 

[Plumb]

I'm straining to remember a good left handed middle order batsman through the 2000s. Can't remember any name that stands out. In the 90s we had folks like Yousuf (Youhana at that time), Maindad, Salim Malik, Inzi etc. All right handed.

in the 90s... Asif Mujtaba... his 1992 innings against Aus to tie the game was one of the memory... not that great of a player

 

[Syed1]

in the 90s... Asif Mujtaba... his 1992 innings against Aus to tie the game was one of the memory... not that great of a player

He played his last ODI before I even knew what cricket was so forgive me for me not remembering. Though I knew of his existence due to fleeting mention on PP here and there. An average of 26 at 64 SR and he still played 66 ODIs for Pak. Mashallah

 

[MMHS]

Haris Sohail based on what i have seen has a problem with the short pitched delivery directed at his body, top teams will make note of this and work him out. Even Fakhar has the same problem. Saeed Anwar in comparison was a complete batsman with all the shots in the book

The main reason is that there hasn’t been many lefti middle order from PAK - those few got chances played very little. Asim Kamal, Asif Mujtaba, Akhter Sarfraz ..... I cant recall anyone else. I think, still now Wasim Raza is the best Test Lefti, but he also wasn’t there as specialist batsman. Now days we see lots of lefti batsman in PAK team, but in past there had been very few, and whatever there, most of them were openers - Sadiq, Amir, Saeed, Farhat, Butt, Sharjeel, Shadab (Kabir), Younis Ahmed ...... in that regard, MoYo is right.

I don’t think any PAK lefti middle order has a Test hundred (Asim Kamal’s highest was 99 on debut). There was another kid, Adnan Raza, whom I saw playing some league cricket in BD (?), but his best period cut path when this current CS was utmost powerful Captain ...... you know there after.

 

[Mehndi155]

Who is comparing them to mediocre Younis and Misbah????

AGREEd he thinks they are being compared to misyou
Even though they are better than them

 

[Hasan123]

Sanga was a top order batsman,sanath was an opener.

Ganguly was a opener in ODIs and he was in your list.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Better than Sohail "Gary Sobers" Tanvir? I don't think so.

 

[Hasan123]

There isn't much competition for this anyway lol.

 

[NA]

in the 90s... Asif Mujtaba... his 1992 innings against Aus to tie the game was one of the memory... not that great of a player

That game was amazing. Pakistan was chasing around 270-280, I think in Australia, which was a huge total then, and were 80-90 for five half way through the innings. Asif Mujtaba played with the tail and tied the game, by hitting the six on the last ball (with 9 wickets down) in Steve Waugh's over.

What a game!

 

[NA]

I am surprised MoYo didn't claim that Asad Shafiq batting left-handed would still be better.

 

[sshakir411]

Perhaps the only half decent lefty we’ve had in the middle order was Asif Mujtaba. Asim Kamal was alright too but didn’t play enough to make a proper judgment.

 

[MenInG]

Agree with Mohammad Yousaf!

51 off 41 today - captain's knock vs Northern

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/hgsf5p" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

 

[shamaan]

Agree with Mohammad Yousaf!

51 off 41 today - captain's knock vs Northern

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/hgsf5p" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

Lazy lazy player

 

[Kroll]

Lazy lazy player

He is but been unfortunate in the past with injuries, the subsequent botched treatments and picked too late/blocked by Misbah etc.

 

[Zaz]

Hes lovely to watch in full flow, if only his fitness was better and he had more desire to be the best and push himself

Hes a player who 15 years ago wouldve fitted in very nicely but the demands of cricket have changed and he doesnt quite fit in with his lackadaisical attitude

He took several deliveries to get off the mark today and there didnt seem to be any intent early on looking to rotate the strike

 

[shamaan]

He is but been unfortunate in the past with injuries, the subsequent botched treatments and picked too late/blocked by Misbah etc.

I think hes had injuries for the last 4 years major ones azwell

 

[Slog]

This is called being andhon mai kaana raja.

Also Haris Sohail is Louis Saha of cricket

 

[shah_1]

Haris is a gem of a ODI batsman at 4, need to preserve him till 2023 WC

 

[asadee]

We would have been knocked out of the WC19 much earlier if it wasn't for him

 

[Varun]

The problem is there have been more threads about him than the games he's played in international cricket.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Too unfit for the team. Doesn’t fit in my vision of a successful Pakistan side (and shouldn’t fit in Misbah’s vision hopefully). He let us down in Australia as well.

He is insanely talented though.

 

[topspin]

The most talented left hander I've seen since Saeed Anwar. As others have pointed out, it's a pity he didn't put the hard yards in his fitness. Injuries and Misbah blocking him from the team (during his captaincy days) also compounded his progress.

 

[shah_1]

Too unfit for the team. Doesn’t fit in my vision of a successful Pakistan side (and shouldn’t fit in Misbah’s vision hopefully). He let us down in Australia as well.

He is insanely talented though.

Who is the replacement for him in the ODIs? All the youngsters performing are top order batsmen

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Who is the replacement for him in the ODIs? All the youngsters performing are top order batsmen

I guess what I’m trying to say is he needs to cut on weight. We do need him but not that much that he walks in while so unfit.

It’s a double standard and unfair to Sharjeel Khan who in my opinion is fitter than Haris Sohail. Neither of them deserve to be in the side right now - their fitness is equal to one opposition wicket per match each, so they must not only score for themselves but also for the boundaries they cannot chase, or the “spectacular catches” that they turn into “difficult catches”.

Fakhar Zaman, for all his bad form, is a fantastic fielder and worth more to Pakistan than Sharjeel right now.

Similarly, I will take Khushdil or even Iftikhar over Haris Sohail. Ideally, though, Haris will lose weight and show some dedication - just 5-10 kg is all I am asking for and the ability to take good catches, as well as taking quick singles.

If you watch him in NT20, Haris cannot rotate the strike for the life of him. Not needed in our Limited Overs setup.

 

[shah_1]

I guess what I’m trying to say is he needs to cut on weight. We do need him but not that much that he walks in while so unfit.

It’s a double standard and unfair to Sharjeel Khan who in my opinion is fitter than Haris Sohail. Neither of them deserve to be in the side right now - their fitness is equal to one opposition wicket per match each, so they must not only score for themselves but also for the boundaries they cannot chase, or the “spectacular catches” that they turn into “difficult catches”.

Fakhar Zaman, for all his bad form, is a fantastic fielder and worth more to Pakistan than Sharjeel right now.

Similarly, I will take Khushdil or even Iftikhar over Haris Sohail. Ideally, though, Haris will lose weight and show some dedication - just 5-10 kg is all I am asking for and the ability to take good catches, as well as taking quick singles.

If you watch him in NT20, Haris cannot rotate the strike for the life of him. Not needed in our Limited Overs setup.

Khushdil or Iftikhar at 4 is a nonsense choice. Khushdil is a leg side slogger with zero FC record, Iftikhar at 6 is more ideal. There is no replacement for Haris Sohail right now. Accept the fact

 

[Kaddy]

I guess what I’m trying to say is he needs to cut on weight. We do need him but not that much that he walks in while so unfit.

It’s a double standard and unfair to Sharjeel Khan who in my opinion is fitter than Haris Sohail. Neither of them deserve to be in the side right now - their fitness is equal to one opposition wicket per match each, so they must not only score for themselves but also for the boundaries they cannot chase, or the “spectacular catches” that they turn into “difficult catches”.

Fakhar Zaman, for all his bad form, is a fantastic fielder and worth more to Pakistan than Sharjeel right now.

Similarly, I will take Khushdil or even Iftikhar over Haris Sohail. Ideally, though, Haris will lose weight and show some dedication - just 5-10 kg is all I am asking for and the ability to take good catches, as well as taking quick singles.

If you watch him in NT20, Haris cannot rotate the strike for the life of him. Not needed in our Limited Overs setup.

It is very strange post.

Haris Sohail is easily better batsman than both.

They may be better in t20s but in tests & odi, he is better than both Khushdil & Iftikhar combined.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Khushdil or Iftikhar at 4 is a nonsense choice. Khushdil is a leg side slogger with zero FC record, Iftikhar at 6 is more ideal. There is no replacement for Haris Sohail right now. Accept the fact

Oh I’m playing neither at 4. I’m actually playing Babar at 4.

This is the 18-man squad I want to develop for the World Cup in 2023.

1. Haider Ali
2. Imam ul Haq / Fakhar Zaman
3. Abdullah Shafiq
4. Babar Azam (c)
5. Iftikhar Ahmed / Haris Sohail / Khushdil Shah
6. Mohammad Rizwan / Rohail Nazir (wk)
7. Imad Wasim
8. Shadab Khan
9. Mohammad Amir / Hasan Ali / Mohammad Hasnain / Naseem Shah
10. Haris Rauf
11. Shaheen Afridi

This squad can demolish other teams.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

It is very strange post.

Haris Sohail is easily better batsman than both.

They may be better in t20s but in tests & odi, he is better than both Khushdil & Iftikhar combined.

Yes Sharjeel is a better batsman than Fakhar, but is that worth Sharjeel dropping the catch than Fakhar takes off of Virat Kohli, or Rohit Sharma, or Aaron Finch? This can be worth up to 50 or more runs! Think of Sachin’s drops in 2011 Mohali.

What about rotating the strike, which supports your partner at the other end? This easily translates to 10-20 runs extra per innings.

I would say no. Fakhar’s fielding+batting+running > Sharjeel’s batting alone.

Same applies to Haris and any other middle order bat.

 

[shah_1]

Oh I’m playing neither at 4. I’m actually playing Babar at 4.

This is the 18-man squad I want to develop for the World Cup in 2023.

1. Haider Ali
2. Imam ul Haq / Fakhar Zaman
3. Abdullah Shafiq
4. Babar Azam (c)
5. Iftikhar Ahmed / Haris Sohail / Khushdil Shah
6. Mohammad Rizwan / Rohail Nazir (wk)
7. Imad Wasim
8. Shadab Khan
9. Mohammad Amir / Hasan Ali / Mohammad Hasnain / Naseem Shah
10. Haris Rauf
11. Shaheen Afridi

This squad can demolish other teams.

Demolish? How are you so sure of Haider Ali, Rohail, and Abdullah Shafiq doing well at international cricket. Rizwan is terrible for a no 6 role, can’t hit fast bowlers at all.

Babar at 4 is a bad idea when he has done so well at 3

 

[Greenstorm]

Who is the replacement for him in the ODIs? All the youngsters performing are top order batsmen

Saud Shakil.
Top order batsmen like Fakhar and Zeeshan Malik can also be tried in middle order. Batting positions have become fluid in modern day cricket.

 

[shah_1]

Saud Shakil.
Top order batsmen like Fakhar and Zeeshan Malik can also be tried in middle order. Batting positions have become fluid in modern day cricket.

Haris can hit massive sixes against spinners, hardly have seen Saud play big shots

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Demolish? How are you so sure of Haider Ali, Rohail, and Abdullah Shafiq doing well at international cricket. Rizwan is terrible for a no 6 role, can’t hit fast bowlers at all.

Babar at 4 is a bad idea when he has done so well at 3

It’s the squad I want to develop. Ideally all the components fit together as the balance of this team is right. It’s how a selector or coach (or both) should think - how far can I develop youngsters in 2 years and what will their roles in the team be, in the best case scenario.

Next, I will begin developing the players accordingly to the plan, and I have backups ready who I am developing concurrently so I have my bases covered. Why is Babar at 4 a bad idea if he provides stability and allows the youngsters to play their natural game up top? The alternative is Babar at 3, Shafiq at 4, which is not bad either.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Haris was picked a year too late in international cricket and was dropped without any reason after the WI series in 2013. Umar Amin was preferred over him. He did well upon his recall in late 2014 and helped us reaching quarterfinals in wc 15. His next two years in wilderness probably cost us a lot of matches.
Our ever competent board which uses physiotherapists as doctors, and with no sports medicine specialist to consult with, it cost 2 years of his career.
He improved a lot under Mickey's era. He lacked the finishing skills and the fourth gear in his batting but he visibly developed it as reflected by his performances in WC19.
He can still play till 2023 WC. Is easily our second best batsman behind babar.

I just wish we had given chances to Haris Sohail and Mohd Rizwan or even Akbar ur Rehman instead of trying of make Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali as the middle order of our ODI team.
Shafiq has been the worst investment in LOI's even by Pakistani standards.
Umar Akmal should have been dropped for good after WC15, he showed zero improvement in his 6 year career till then and alarming regression to ever warrant a place in our team again.
His ugly wafts in the wc15 especially the quarterfinal was the evidence that he can not step up as the batsman.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Haris can hit massive sixes against spinners, hardly have seen Saud play big shots

3 and 4 are locked in with Babar and Haris.
Should give Saud Shakeel, Haider Ali, Saad Ali or even Khushdil Shah a chance at no. 5. Would be criminal to have them(except khushdil) play out of position at no.6 if no.5 is given to rizwan where he is most comfortable at.
I would consider playing only one of haris and babar simultaneously in a match against Zim.

 

[Kaddy]

Yes Sharjeel is a better batsman than Fakhar, but is that worth Sharjeel dropping the catch than Fakhar takes off of Virat Kohli, or Rohit Sharma, or Aaron Finch? This can be worth up to 50 or more runs! Think of Sachin’s drops in 2011 Mohali.

What about rotating the strike, which supports your partner at the other end? This easily translates to 10-20 runs extra per innings.

I would say no. Fakhar’s fielding+batting+running > Sharjeel’s batting alone.

Same applies to Haris and any other middle order bat.

I was not discussing about Fakhar & Sharjeel comparison. In that comparison, actually I agree with you.

I had issues with your comparison of Haris Sohail with Khushdil Shah.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

I was not discussing about Fakhar & Sharjeel comparison. In that comparison, actually I agree with you.

I had issues with your comparison of Haris Sohail with Khushdil Shah.

Man I don’t want to be rude but Haris Sohail is a liability, can barely run due to knee issues. He was performing well in the 2019 world cup but now he’s looking really overweight, much more than before. Doesn’t help that he’s getting older, and I’m not sure he will be the same batsman in 2023 at the age of 35.

Therefore, it’s better to cut the losses early, no? Rather than develop a potential 35-year old liability who has knee problems and can’t run/field, why not develop a youngster? By removing Haris, I am able to put Babar at 4 and fit in both Haider and Abdullah Shafiq into my top order. The lineup just looks so much more balanced if you think about these players 3 years into their careers (starting from now until 2023).

 

[Rayyman]

Man I don’t want to be rude but Haris Sohail is a liability, can barely run due to knee issues. He was performing well in the 2019 world cup but now he’s looking really overweight, much more than before. Doesn’t help that he’s getting older, and I’m not sure he will be the same batsman in 2023 at the age of 35.

Therefore, it’s better to cut the losses early, no? Rather than develop a potential 35-year old liability who has knee problems and can’t run/field, why not develop a youngster? By removing Haris, I am able to put Babar at 4 and fit in both Haider and Abdullah Shafiq into my top order. The lineup just looks so much more balanced if you think about these players 3 years into their careers (starting from now until 2023).

I do not think Haris should be given up on. We can agree that he gets in on his batting. Your problems with him in the team are his fitness/fielding. His fielding has never been a problem. Very good in the circle, quick to the ball, accurate arm, and safe catcher. He only struggles at the boundary, but you only need four guys out there (Shadab, Imam, Fakhar, Babar).

As for his fitness, he looks in better shape in this tournament. Unlike the other fatties he has done some work over the break and with more cricket now he will get better. If you are talking about rotating the strike, then he is the best in Pakistan at piercing the inner ring, even Babar gets bogged down against spinners, but Haris has the ability to loft over extra cover, late cut a ball on middle stump between point and third man, flick either way of square leg.

The only replacement for him would be Saud Shakeel, who lacks the power of Haris, but also the laziness. Saud brings intensity to the crease and would be a great #4 in ODIs.

But as Moyo said in the OP, is the best ever middle-order lefty. And Pakistan only has 2-3 middle-order batsman left. So might as well make use of him.

 

[Syed1]

Haris is EASILY the second best LOI bat in Pakistan after Bobby.


I do not believe the hype of the Zeeshan Maliks, Haider Alis and Abdullah Shafiques of the world. First they have to get selected and prove their mettle. We have had such amazing performances from youngsters in domestics before as well, only for them to turn out to be Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal. The problem is folks are seeing this new crop live hence they are going gaga over them.


Let's not forget how Harry performed in the 2019 WC.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

I do not think Haris should be given up on. We can agree that he gets in on his batting. Your problems with him in the team are his fitness/fielding. His fielding has never been a problem. Very good in the circle, quick to the ball, accurate arm, and safe catcher. He only struggles at the boundary, but you only need four guys out there (Shadab, Imam, Fakhar, Babar).

As for his fitness, he looks in better shape in this tournament. Unlike the other fatties he has done some work over the break and with more cricket now he will get better. If you are talking about rotating the strike, then he is the best in Pakistan at piercing the inner ring, even Babar gets bogged down against spinners, but Haris has the ability to loft over extra cover, late cut a ball on middle stump between point and third man, flick either way of square leg.

The only replacement for him would be Saud Shakeel, who lacks the power of Haris, but also the laziness. Saud brings intensity to the crease and would be a great #4 in ODIs.

But as Moyo said in the OP, is the best ever middle-order lefty. And Pakistan only has 2-3 middle-order batsman left. So might as well make use of him.

You’ve put all our best fielders at the boundary — for example, I would much rather Shadab, Imam, and Babar field inside the circle for me. No one else effects runouts like them.

But yes, assuming we find a place for Haris inside the circle, the issue of his worsening knees continues to be a question. And his age. We have seen historically how Pakistanis aged 35+ in a world cup never ends well. You want to take Haris to 2023?

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Haris is EASILY the second best LOI bat in Pakistan after Bobby.


I do not believe the hype of the Zeeshan Maliks, Haider Alis and Abdullah Shafiques of the world. First they have to get selected and prove their mettle. We have had such amazing performances from youngsters in domestics before as well, only for them to turn out to be Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal. The problem is folks are seeing this new crop live hence they are going gaga over them.


Let's not forget how Harry performed in the 2019 WC.

In the same way, Inzi was the best LOI bat in 2004 (3 years before 2007) and Miandad in 1993 (3 years before 1996).

 

[Syed1]

In the same way, Inzi was the best LOI bat in 2004 (3 years before 2007) and Miandad in 1993 (3 years before 1996).

You want to lose matches now so that you may or may not win matches three years from now?


Amazing logic

 

[Rayyman]

You’ve put all our best fielders at the boundary — for example, I would much rather Shadab, Imam, and Babar field inside the circle for me. No one else effects runouts like them.

But yes, assuming we find a place for Haris inside the circle, the issue of his worsening knees continues to be a question. And his age. We have seen historically how Pakistanis aged 35+ in a world cup never ends well. You want to take Haris to 2023?

I am talking about in death overs. In the power-play, u have most of the team in the circle anyway so everybody can fit.

 

[shah_1]

In the same way, Inzi was the best LOI bat in 2004 (3 years before 2007) and Miandad in 1993 (3 years before 1996).

Develop these players in T20 cricket and A squad, no one predict the future of Haris Sohail.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

You want to lose matches now so that you may or may not win matches three years from now?


Amazing logic

I want to construct a 3-year vision of how we will win the world cup. It’s called long term planning. In my long term plans, Haris Sohail will not be playing in 2023.

For the short term, Haris will be in my first choice XI for ODIs (hence, I will not lose matches because of dropping him) however I will actively be developing his replacements and phase Haris completely out of the team by the end of 2021.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Develop these players in T20 cricket and A squad, no one predict the future of Haris Sohail.

T20 is not the place to develop ODI players - players like Haider Ali and Abdullah Shafiq will only get their chance in the national XI if we make some tough calls on who they will be replacing.

For example, you cannot play Haider without dropping Fakhar or Imam in ODI. In my plans, Haider is crucial for 2023. Therefore, I will begin phasing Fakhar out.

 

[Khan12]

Too unfit for the team. Doesn’t fit in my vision of a successful Pakistan side (and shouldn’t fit in Misbah’s vision hopefully). He let us down in Australia as well.

He is insanely talented though.

Please give us alternatives. The only one i can think of is Abdullah Shafique at 4 thats it. Haris is our second best batsmen after babar. A fact.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Please give us alternatives. The only one i can think of is Abdullah Shafique at 4 thats it. Haris is our second best batsmen after babar. A fact.

I have! Here’s my team:

1. Haider Ali
2. Imam ul Haq / Fakhar Zaman
3. Babar Azam (c)
4. Abdullah Shafiq
5. Mohammad Rizwan / Rohail Nazir (wk)
6. Iftikhar Ahmed / Haris Sohail / Khushdil Shah
7. Imad Wasim
8. Shadab Khan (vc)
9. Mohammad Amir / Hasan Ali / Mohammad Hasnain / Naseem Shah
10. Haris Rauf
11. Shaheen Afridi

 

[zain7077]

I have! Here’s my team:

1. Haider Ali
2. Imam ul Haq / Fakhar Zaman
3. Babar Azam (c)
4. Abdullah Shafiq
5. Mohammad Rizwan / Rohail Nazir (wk)
6. Iftikhar Ahmed / Haris Sohail / Khushdil Shah
7. Imad Wasim
8. Shadab Khan (vc)
9. Mohammad Amir / Hasan Ali / Mohammad Hasnain / Naseem Shah
10. Haris Rauf
11. Shaheen Afridi

I think Saud is a better option for the team than Imam and Abdullah will be much better as an opener

1) Abdullah Shafique
2) Haider Ali
3) Babar Azam (C)
4) Saud Shakeel / Haris Sohail
5) Qasim Akram / Khushdil
6) Rohail / Haris/ Rizwan (WK)
7) Shadab Khan
8) Imad Wasim
9) M Amir
10) H Rauf
11) Shaheen Shah

 

[shah_1]

T20 is not the place to develop ODI players - players like Haider Ali and Abdullah Shafiq will only get their chance in the national XI if we make some tough calls on who they will be replacing.

For example, you cannot play Haider without dropping Fakhar or Imam in ODI. In my plans, Haider is crucial for 2023. Therefore, I will begin phasing Fakhar out.

There has been zero List A domestic matches played by these two though Haider Ali played some Pakistan emerging matches. On what basis they should be selected for ODIs?

Tell me any quality T2O top order batsman that isn't good in ODIs? If you can play well T20 cricket at the top then ODI becomes pretty easy for you.

 

[Greenstorm]

Haris can hit massive sixes against spinners, hardly have seen Saud play big shots

Again, Fakhar and Zeeshan even Hafeez can hit more sixes against spinners at 4 if that is the criteria.

Haris hardly hits sixes against spinners in international cricket. Mostly he gets caught on long on or long off while trying to do so. With his current fitness levels, he won't score many hundreds and he gets run out far too often. We should move on from him and look to develop a young, fit and talented squad for WC 2023.

 

[shamaan]

It is very strange post.

Haris Sohail is easily better batsman than both.

They may be better in t20s but in tests & odi, he is better than both Khushdil & Iftikhar combined.

Haris could have been as good a as babar if he worked on his fitness and had better knees he isnt getting younger so I wouldnt have him in my team

 

[shamaan]

Demolish? How are you so sure of Haider Ali, Rohail, and Abdullah Shafiq doing well at international cricket. Rizwan is terrible for a no 6 role, can’t hit fast bowlers at all.

Babar at 4 is a bad idea when he has done so well at 3

Haider ali is class player and has the ability to change the game on his own.rizwan is a good player but needs to bat up the order.i would have babar at 3 and abdullah at 4

 

[shamaan]

3 and 4 are locked in with Babar and Haris.
Should give Saud Shakeel, Haider Ali, Saad Ali or even Khushdil Shah a chance at no. 5. Would be criminal to have them(except khushdil) play out of position at no.6 if no.5 is given to rizwan where he is most comfortable at.
I would consider playing only one of haris and babar simultaneously in a match against Zim.

Saad ali if played needs to play in the top 4 number 5 you need someone with positive intend