Shoaib Akhtar: “I was constantly saying that Haris Sohail should be included in the playing XI because he is a very compact player”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Legendary Pakistan seamer Shoaib Akhtar has revealed that batsman Haris Sohail “looked better than Babar Azam” during the national team’s World Cup clash against South Africa on Sunday.

Azam scored 69 in the match, but Haris was named Man of the Match for his 59-ball 89, which included nine boundaries and three sixes.

The men in green’s 49-run victory over the Proteas at Lord’s kept their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals alive, while South Africa were eliminated from the tournament.

“I was constantly saying that Haris Sohail should be included in the playing XI because he is a very compact player. Against South Africa, he showed how to score runs. In fact he looked better than Babar Azam,” Akhtar was quoted as saying by the Deccan Chronicle.

“Haris provided the thrust and helped Pakistan get a total in excess of 300. Haris Sohail was a great addition and Shoaib Malik was dropped, which was a fair call.”

Pakistan’s next World Cup match will be against New Zealand at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

[interaction id=”5c1d9088e5245c5b0b264d12″]