Former West Indies pacer and renowned commentator Ian Bishop has heaped high praise on young Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Haris, backing him to make his return to international cricket.
The young batter’s name came into the discussion after Pakistan, who entered the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as defending champions, crashed out of the eight-team event in the group stage following defeats against New Zealand and India.
During yesterday’s clash between England and Afghanistan, commentators Ian Bishop, Nasser Hussain, and Ian Smith were discussing Pakistan’s disastrous performance in the tournament and the way forward for the Green Shirts.
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“They’ve got some good young fast bowlers around this country. Really good bowlers; they have to groom them well. There’s hope, there is talent,” Bishop said.
Nasser Hussain pointed out that the injuries to opening batters Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman dealt a substantial blow to the host team. Their absence not only affects the team’s batting strength but also disrupts the overall lineup and strategy.
In response, Bishop underscored the importance of having depth in the squad while mentioning Mohammad Haris for his remarkable ability to accelerate the scoring rate.
“Even on that, Nasser, it’s strength in depth,” said Bishop. “That’s what New Zealand have going for them, for example, very well.”
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“It’s what India have going for them very well. There’s a young man called Mohammad Haris around Pakistan here, who I think…he’s inconsistent, but he’s exactly what white-ball cricket needs.”
For the unversed, Haris has represented Pakistan in six ODIs and nine T20Is since making his international debut in 2022. Although he played valuable cameos during the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, his overall stats paint a dismal picture.
The 23-year-old batter has scored 30 runs in six ODIs and 126 runs in nine T20Is at meagre averages of 7.5 and 14, respectively.
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