Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) continues to hurtle towards its conclusion.
Being held entirely in Pakistan for the first time in the competition’s history, the ongoing edition has proven to be a huge hit with packed stands greeting the teams in the cities of Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan.
While the T20 league has clearly been a success off the pitch, the action on the pitch has been equally enthralling and gripping.
It has been a tournament of many surprises with Multan Sultans topping the league on the way to their maiden play-off qualification. Two-time champions Islamabad United have failed to reach the play-offs for the first time in history, while three-time finalists and defending champions Quetta Gladiators have been dealt the same cards.
Meanwhile, perennial underperformers Lahore Qalandars have scripted a dramatic turnaround in the second half to sneak into the play-offs for the first time in five attempts.
For Pakistan fans in particular, PSL 5 has been a rewarding one with several youngsters putting their hands up with notable displays. Unsurprisingly though, most of these displays have come with the ball.
Shaheen Afridi’s stock continues to rise with the teenager leading Lahore’s charge by scalping 13 wickets at an economy-rate of just 7.02. Only fellow 19-year-old pacer Mohammad Hasnain has claimed more dismissals than Afridi, with the Quetta man topping the charts with 15 wickets. Despite Islamabad’s misfortunes, skipper Shadab Khan has emerged with his all-round reputation enhanced after racking up 263 runs at an average of nearly 38 and a strike-rate of over 159. The 21-year-old has been pretty handy with the ball as well, with his leg-spin accounting for eight dismissals.
Hence, there is plenty to rejoice for Misbah-ul-Haq and the Pakistan team management with the T20I World Cup only months away. More importantly, however, is the emergence of a fresh domestic talent with the bat in form of Peshawar Zalmi’s Haider Ali.
Pakistan has always had a rich history of producing world-class fast bowlers and the same has been affirmed in this PSL. At the other end of the spectrum though, their inability to churn out world beaters with the bat on a consistent basis has been equally frustrating. It was the same problem which was highlighted by Misbah when he opted to hand Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal a shock recall to the Pakistan T20 squad for the home series against Sri Lanka last year.
The head coach and chief selector had then lamented the lack of batting talents coming through from the domestic set-up and he wasn’t really wrong either. While Akmal and Shehzad failed miserably on their international comebacks and were promptly discarded again, they have been among the better performers with the bat in the PSL over the years.
Young Pakistan batsmen have rarely shone in the competition with overseas stars being the dominant performers and the same script has unfolded this season as well. No1 ranked T20I batsman and Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has topped the batting charts, but trailing right behind him are overseas stars such as Ben Dunk, Chris Lynn and Luke Ronchi.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s young and upcoming batsmen continue to languish in the reserves of the six franchises. U19 skipper Rohail Nazir is a case in point with the right-hander given just two outings by table-toppers Multan Sultans. Franchises being averse to blooding in young domestic talents with the bat has been an underlying theme of the PSL since its inception in 2016. While they have not been shy in trusting youngsters in the bowling department, they have largely opted to go with overseas players and established Pakistan names to shore up their batting.
As such, Haider Ali’s encouraging displays for the eliminated Peshawar Zalmi deserve a special mention. The 19-year-old came into the tournament with plenty of promise after his displays for Pakistan in the most recent U19 World Cup. With a booming cover drive reminiscent of Babar Azam, the Attock-born youngster was earmarked for a big future by Windies legend Ian Bishop.
His PSL debut against Karachi Kings didn’t exactly go to plan with his stumps rattled by a Chris Jordan yorker. Peshawar could have taken the easy route by dropping the teenager after his dismissal for just four runs in the clash. Credit, however, has to be given to the Zalmi team management for persisting with the teenager in subsequent clashes.
Only twice in his next eight appearances did Haider Ali really fail again, with the right-hander amassing a total of 239 runs at an average of nearly 30. While there are certainly several batsmen who have put up better averages over the course of the season, it is the manner in which Haider Ali has racked up the runs that is worth a notice.
His strike-rate of 158.27 has been bettered by just Pakistan batsmen (minimum 50 runs) – Shadab Khan and Kamran Akmal. A remarkably clean hitter of the cricket ball, Haider has impressed thoroughly with his ability to clear the ropes with textbook technique. 164 of his runs have come in the form of just boundaries which includes a staggering 14 sixes. Among Pakistan players, only Shadab Khan (15) and Sharjeel Khan (16) have struck more sixes than Haider Ali.
Equally strong on both the off and the on sides, young Haider has made run-scoring look effortless when he has been on song. Nowhere was his ability more evident than in Peshawar’s penultimate clash against Lahore Qalandars. While his side would ultimately lose the tight contest, Haider Ali grabbed eyeballs with his 69-run salvo.
With four huge sixes and as many boundaries in his 43-ball stay at the crease, the youngster dazzled against a bowling unit containing Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf on his way to becoming the youngest half-centurion in PSL history.
He isn’t exactly a one-season PSL wonder either and has already made his mark in Pakistan’s revamped first-class competition. Having made his first-class debut in September last year, the teen has already registered two centuries while his average after seven appearances is touching 50.
Pakistan are spoilt when it comes to young bowling options currently with the likes of Afridi, Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Muhammad Musa and Mohammad Ilyas all vying for contention. In Haider Ali, they finally have a young batsman who has the potential for great things as well. No rookie Pakistan batsman has generated such excitement since Babar took international cricket by storm nearly five years ago.
With Misbah getting a bird’s eye view of the 2020 PSL as head coach of Islamabad United, it will not be a surprise to see Haider Ali be in the reckoning for a Pakistan T20 call up in the near future. The Pakistan coach has bemoaned the lack of options in the domestic setup previously and Haider’s emergence has now given him a chance to dispel with the notion.
It might still be early doors in his professional career, but the signs are as promising as they get with Haider Ali. It is now up to Misbah and Pakistan to see if they can hone this talent into something special.
