 "Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris is drawing flak for his take on Babar Azam's T20 strike rate. AFP/AP")
Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris finds himself making headlines ahead of the Asia Cup, albeit for the wrong reasons. Haris, who was part of the Salman Agha-led Pakistan team pulled off a 2-1 T20I series victory over West Indies in the Caribbean last month, has justified former Babar’s absence from the Asia Cup squad by drawing attention to his strike rate.
It’s not just the fact that he has suggested an improvement in Babar’s strike rate for the former captain to make his way back to the shortest format but the tone with which he said it that has snowballed into a big controversy.
In a clip of an interview that is going viral on social media, the 24-year-old keeper-batter was asked whether Babar needs to bring about a change in his batting style in the shortest format, to which Haris agreed.
“Tez ya slow (fast or slow),” was the interviewer’s follow-up question, to which Haris picked the former option with a chuckle.
It’s the fact that he replied with a laugh which answering a question on Babar’s strike rate that appears to have rubbed experts, including former cricketers, as well as Babar’s fans the wrong way.
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Among those criticising Haris for his take on Babar’s strike rate are former Pakistan batter Basit Ali and ex-wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal, with the former going to the extent of saying that he should be “beaten with a stick” for commenting on his senior.
“If Mohammad Haris says that Babar Azam needs improvement, then he deserves to get beaten with a stick,” Basit said on The Game Plan show on YouTube.
“Abbe tum ho kya ki tum Babar Azam ke liye baat kar rahe ho? (Who do you think you are to comment on Babar Azam?),” he continued, adding that Babar’s removal from the leadership role has emboldened Haris to make such a comment.
Akmal, meanwhile, felt the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) needs to train cricketers better on the art of speaking in public and avoiding controversial takes.
“It’s the responsibility of the Pakistan Cricket Board to train players when it comes to answering such questions,” Akmal, who represented Pakistan in 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20Is, said on the show.
“However, he (Haris) isn’t a kid any longer and understands everything. He should have made it clear that he is in no position to comment on Babar, and instead needs to learn from him when it comes to improving his own batting and delivering match-winning performances for Pakistan,” Akmal added.
Babar and fellow senior Mohammad Rizwan have been overlooked for the upcoming Asia Cup , which effectively means they aren’t likely to be considered for next year’s T20 World Cup either.
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The two were part of Pakistan’s dismal T20 World Cup campaign last year, in which the former champions crashed out in the first round after defeats against arch-rivals India as well as co-hosts USA.
However, Shaheen Shah Afridi has been included in the squad along with pace colleagues Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf.