Rameez says Haider is a future star

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has identified Haider Ali as one of the most promising stars to emerge from the Pakistan Super League and urged him to develop consistency.

“He needs to be consistent,” Ramiz said in a video on his YouTube channel. “His ideal position is No 3 because he has the ability to play big shots. He doesn’t need to improvise. He has so many quality shots and his power-hitting base is so strong,” the former opening batsman said.

Haider, who featured in Pakistan’s Under 19 World Cup campaign earlier this year, turned out for Peshawar Zalmi in the T20 league. He made 239 runs in nine matches at an impressive strike-rate of 158.25, also clearing the ropes 14 times.

It was a continuation of his impressive showing in the youth World Cup, where he impressed Ian Bishop with his cover drives. He scored a half-century in Pakistan’s unsuccessful semi-final against India.

Ramiz praised the youngster for his technique. Haider’s style was like that of Babar Azam and Virat Kohli, who could similarly get high scores without slogging, he explained.

“His template should be Virat Kohli or Babar Azam. These players have staggering numbers despite not improvising too much because they have such strong skills and conventional shots that they can be consistent and be match-winners,” Ramiz added.

Haider’s challenge was to get more fifties and convert those into bigger scores, he added.

The cricketer-turned-commentator also liked what he saw of Zeeshan Ashraf, the left-hand opener for Multan Sultans. “His strike-rate of 133.07 is good for an opener,” he said.

“There’s a fine line between a pinch hitter and an opener, and I think he ticks both boxes. He has talent and a bright future.”