Haider says Babar is his role model

LAHORE: Fast-rising batsman Haider Ali has said he wants to wants to learn from Virat Kohli as well as Babar Azam, calling the latter his role model. Ali was impressive in the recent Under-19 World Cup and was one of the stars in the Pakistan Super League.

“A batsman can never become like his role models, but can improve himself and develop shots like they play. I want to improve myself to the extent that people call me Babar Azam,” Haider said in a video on YouTube. “I cannot become Kohli but can develop shots like him through practice. I’m Haider Ali so I can only become Haider Ali,” he added.

“I met Babar during the first-class tournament and he gave me tips regarding my batting. We also get to learn a lot from him in the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. He also supported me during PSL by boosting my confidence and advising me to keep scoring runs and leave the rest to Allah Almighty,” said the 19-year-old.

Former Pakistan skipper Ramiz Raja has termed Haider an emerging star while urging him to try to be consistent. “He is a batsman who should bat at the number 3 position. A few dot balls should not worry him. He should have faith in his capability that he can cover up for the dot balls later and win matches for the team just as Kohli and Babar do,” Ramiz said on his YouTube channel.