Shoaib Malik Advocates Defined Batting Role for Mohammad Haris in Asia Cup 2025

DUBAI: Former Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik has proposed a specific batting position for young wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Haris as the national team gears up to face Oman in their Asia Cup 2025 opener this Friday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

During a discussion on a local sports channel, Malik stressed that Pakistan should maintain the winning formula that brought them success in the recent tri-nation T20I series against Afghanistan and the UAE.

“You recently secured victory in the tri-nation series, so the combination that contributed to that win should largely remain unchanged. The strategy needs simplification: with left-handed and right-handed openers, if the right-hander is dismissed, Haris should enter at number three, with Fakhar Zaman adjusting accordingly. The principle should be left-hander for left-hander, right-hander for right-hander,” Malik elaborated.

The veteran all-rounder highlighted the young player’s batting approach and the difficulties he encounters when positioned too low in the batting order. He emphasized that Haris performs optimally when given the opportunity to capitalize on field restrictions in the initial overs.

“If that scenario doesn’t occur, and the left-hander is out with Fakhar coming in, you still need to ensure Haris bats during the powerplay. Further down the order, his effectiveness diminishes as he is not a natural power-hitter and is unsuited for that role.”

Malik also noted that Haris has achieved his best results when batting at number three.

“Looking at his recent performances, he has scored runs when playing at number three. While the combination hasn’t always been seamless, it should be kept straightforward: right-hander for right-hander, left-hander for left-hander.”

Malik also shared insights into his mentorship of Haris during the Champions Cup tournament.

“Mentoring involves more than just instructing someone. A mentor needs to understand the player’s perspective — their understanding of the game. In my conversations with Haris, I suggested he experiment with a different strategy,” he remarked.

“Even if it didn’t yield immediate results, it would help him grasp the process. I didn’t concentrate heavily on his technical skills; instead, I focused on enhancing his mental approach. Our players primarily require mental clarity rather than excessive technical adjustments.”

It’s worth noting that the 24-year-old has played in 28 T20Is for Pakistan, amassing 424 runs at a strike rate of 137.21, including a century. However, his recent form has been inconsistent.

In his last 11 T20I innings, he has only scored 54 runs, with scores of 4, 0, and 5 against Bangladesh in July, 6, 4, and 2 against the West Indies in August, and 15, 1, 1, 14, and 2 during the tri-series.

Despite Haris’s struggles, Pakistan ultimately secured the tri-nation series title by defeating Afghanistan in the final.

Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2025: Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem