Saeed Ajmal: “Ramiz Raja likes him, that’s why they kept him”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal feels that big-hitting batsman Mohammad Haris was only included in the national team since former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja spoke highly of him.
Haris got the chance to prove his worth in the 2022 T20 World Cup and many believed that he didn’t disappoint as he took a very aggressive approach when batting.
This was a breath of fresh air for many fans and former players as they had previously voiced their frustration at the men in green not having enough players who can score quick runs when the opening duo of captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan get out.
In the T20 World Cup, Haris hammered 28 runs off 11 deliveries against South Africa, 31 runs off 18 balls against Bangladesh, and 30 runs off 26 deliveries in the semi-final against New Zealand. He also made eight runs in the final against England.
Even though his performances were filled with many jaw-dropping shots, Ajmal still feels the 21-year-old hadn’t earned his call-up to the Pakistan team.
“Ramiz Raja likes him, that’s why they kept him,” he said on his YouTube channel as quoted by NDTV.
Haris’ next assignment will be the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he will play for the Peshawar Zalmi. Ajmal, meanwhile, will be with Islamabad United as their assistant coach.
Peshawar Zalmi Squad for PSL 8: Babar Azam, Rovman Powell, Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Sri Lanka), Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Sherfane Rutherford, Wahab Riaz, Arshad Iqbal, Danish Aziz, Mohammad Haris, Aamer Jamal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Saim Ayub, Salman Irshad, Usman Qadir, Haseebullah Khan, Sufyan Muqeem, James Neesham, Khurram Shahzad, Haris Sohail and Richard Gleeson
Islamabad United Squad for PSL 8: Alex Hales, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Colin Munro, Paul Stirling, Rumman Raees, Sohaib Maqsood, Hassan Nawaz, Zeeshan Zamir, Moeen Ali and Mubasir Khan, Tom Curran, Zafar Gohar, Gus Atkinson and Tymal Mills