Pakistan will struggle to find a finisher for the next decade to come whilst LOIs continue to evolve because finishing a game is an art form that requires a strong base in: game sense, temperament, shot variety, and/or power.
It's like being bound to get a D in an exam because you just understand the concepts of the things you try to predict will come in the paper rather than knowing the syllabus inside-out.
Samad has some shots the way Iftikhar does but I don't needing to dig into his crease for pick-up shots of any kind. One thing that has been missing from any sort of finisher Pakistan has sought to develop is fundamentally very one-dimensional, weak base: whether it's Asif Ali, Khushdil, Iftikhar, Talat, Haider Ali or whatever we have seen from Samad. It's actually astonishing how poor these fundamentals are and how when these players are being polished in the NCA the lack of power is evident. It's why Ramiz tried to hire a gimmick power-hitting "coach".
Let him have his game time but he's no answer if anyone is trying to hype him up. And he won't be when he plays everything off the back foot at this level. 'Match winner' Nawaz in LOIs has had better success as a 'finisher' and at times Imad in PSL, because both had better game sense, composure and the shots across the ground to target their matchups where desirable - even without the archetypical finisher power build. It's also why Rizwan failed lower down the order.
It's time Pakistani fans learn to groom an eye for finishing beyond someone who can hoick a biggie in cow corner or hammer slot deliveries - it's pure desperation. Unless people here and in general understand this (and I don't blame them because we've never actually had someone of this kind, that Australia, India, WI and even Eng produce by the dozen) - unless that is done, then the push to play more aggressive modern-day LOI cricket is senseless and will turn into more frustration after social media pressure picks flop for being inferior to no fault of their own.
That being said, I see no harm in developing M. Haris down the order if we opt for Fakhar/Saim to start opening in this format. No finisher by any means but he needs a clear purpose as he has the shot variety, can clear the fences, and has elements of the right temperament. You can't develop game sense unless you have a purpose in the team and he will never figure it out going through the motions in franchise/domestic cricket just opening with a free pass to play whatever he wants however.
