Mohammad Haris: “I think the craze for him is on another level and people love him for being such a consistent performer”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan big-hitter Mohammad Haris said the craze people have for limited overs captain Babar Azam “is on another level.”
Azam has built a cult following due to his ability to consistently score runs and for the fact that he has led Pakistan to victory on so many occasions.
Recalling an incident during the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), Haris remembered he and the other Peshawar Zalmi players were in a restaurant and they heard people “chanting Babar, Babar.”
“Well, not in the ground but the other day we were in a restaurant and people were chanting Babar, Babar,” he told Cricwick.
“Obviously it feels great, and it gives us the motivation that if we work hard and become a player of such stature, then people will cheer for you as well.
“I think the craze for him is on another level and people love him for being such a consistent performer. I hope he continues to perform and hopefully we can get closer to the records he has set.”
Azam captained the Zalmi in PSL 9 and led by example with the bat, finishing as the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 569 runs in 11 games, which included a century and five fifties, at an average of 56.90 and a strike-rate of 142.60.
As for Haris, he made 142 runs in 10 matches at an average of 15.77 and a strike-rate of 132.71.
In the recent five-match T20I series against New Zealand, Azam amassed 125 runs in five games, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 31.25 and a strike-rate of 138.88.
Haris, meanwhile, did not feature in the series, which ended as a 2-2 draw.
Next up for Pakistan will be a three-match T20I series against Ireland from May 10 to 14.
After that, they will play four T20Is against England from May 22 to May 30.
Pakistan Squad for Ireland and England T20I Series: Babar Azam (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan