Atiq-uz-Zaman: “I rate Haseebullah as a quality batter but never rate his wicketkeeping. Unless he has massively improved since I have worked with him, I think he should play as a batsman”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan cricketer Atiq-uz-Zaman has admitted he does not rate Haseebullah Khan highly as a wicketkeeper, but believes the youngster is a “quality batter”.
He suggested the 22-year-old should play purely as a specialist batsman until he makes major improvements with the gloves
Haseebullah has played sporadically for Pakistan since making his international debut in 2024, with his most recent appearance coming in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, where he was dismissed for a duck.
“I rate Haseebullah as a quality batter but never rate his wicketkeeping. Unless he has massively improved since I have worked with him, I think he should play as a batsman,” Atiq said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
After the ODI series against Sri Lanka, Haseebullah returned to domestic cricket and took part in the President’s Cup Grade-I (1-Day) tournament, where he represented Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited.
In eight matches, he accumulated 140 runs, which included a top score of 89, at an average of 17.50.
The Pakistan team are now facing Australia in a three-match T20I series in Lahore and hold a 2-0 lead going into the 3rd T20I on February 1.
Following this, Pakistan will feature in the 2026 T20 World Cup, with their opening game being against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo.
Pakistan Squad for T20I series against Australia: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq
Pakistan Squad for 2026 T20 World Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq