Pakistan’s T20I captain, Salman Ali Agha, has come to the strong defense of wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris, who is facing criticism after his string of poor outings continued last night during the tri-nation series final.
Salman Agha’s comments, made after Pakistan’s triumphant tri-series final victory, were a staunch appeal to fans and critics to look beyond the numbers and recognize the player’s selflessness.
“Haris is a top-order batter, yet he’s selflessly playing at 6 or 7 for Pakistan without any hesitation,” Salman Agha said. “People don’t see his sacrifice.”
Mohammad Haris, who averages a career-best 28.22 at number three, has been moved down the order to accommodate Fakhar Zaman. His recent performances lower down have not been up to the mark, with the right-hander scoring just 50 runs from 63 balls in his last 10 T20I innings at a strike rate of 79.37. In that span, he is averaging just 5.00, which has left critics unimpressed.
The tri-nation series also failed to turn around his fortunes. In five matches, he scored a total of 33 runs at an average of 6.60 and a strike rate of 84.61. Those numbers have fueled concerns over his place in the Asia Cup squad, with some even calling for the recall of Mohammad Rizwan or Usman Khan to replace the wicketkeeper in the team.
Despite the unflattering statistics, Salman Ali Agha remains steadfast in his confidence in Mohammad Haris. He urged against hasty conclusions, emphasizing that a couple of poor series should not define a career.
“Players like him shouldn’t be written off after just a couple of poor series,” Agha added. “I am confident he’ll come good in the Asia Cup.”
Salman Ali Agha’s defense of Mohammad Haris is a rare public show of support from a captain for a player who is struggling. It also highlights the team’s faith in Haris’s abilities and his contribution to the team’s balance, even if it doesn’t always show on the scorecard.
Haris will have a chance to prove his critics wrong when Pakistan begins its Asia Cup campaign on September 12 against Oman.