RAWALPINDI: Emerging batsman Mohammad Haris has explained why it is easy to score a fifty as an opening batsman in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The 22-year-old is part of Peshawar Zalmi in the ongoing PSL 9. He bats at number three while Saim Ayub and Babar Azam open the innings.
In an interview with a local sports channel, the right-handed batsman shed light on the toughness of batting in the middle order. “It is easy to score a fifty as an opener in the PSL. If you let me open, I’ll give a fifty too.
“Nobody is ready to bat at number four and number five because it’s difficult to bat in the middle order because the situation demands different things in those positions and you can’t be consistent,” he added.
Haris went on to say that fans want consistency at those batting positions, which is not possible.
“Pakistani fans want consistency even in those numbers, but it’s difficult because one can play three to four times out of ten.”
“That’s why a lot of them don’t fire in those positions,” he added.
Haris appreciated that the selectors are giving more chances to the players at these numbers. “It also depends on the players how they use these opportunities. I hope that by the T20 World Cup our bench strength and middle order will be balanced,” he added.
It should be noted that Haris was dropped from the last T20I series Pakistan played in New Zealand. According to the head selector, the reason why he was not part of the team was to check other players.
He has featured in nine T20Is and six ODIs for Pakistan so far.