‘First build your value’: former cricketers hit back at Haris for comments over Babar
Staff Report
LAHORE: Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has launched a scathing attack on young wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris following his remarks about star batter Babar Azam’s approach to T20 cricket.
Speaking in an interview on a local YouTube channel, Haris suggested that Babar needs to “play fast” in T20 cricket and also hinted that senior players should step aside to create opportunities for youngsters. “No doubt, Babar and Rizwan have delivered many performances for Pakistan, but when you want to set a benchmark, you need to give chances to the juniors,” Haris said.
“Babar Azam needs to play fast in T20,” he added. During a recent discussion on a local YouTube channel alongside former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, Basit expressed his anger at Haris’ comments. He further questioned Haris’ intent behind the remarks.
“If Mohammad Haris says Babar Azam needs improvement, I think Haris should be beaten with a stick. Haris, who are you to speak about Babar Azam?” Basit said. “The captain has changed. If Babar Azam were still the captain, would Haris have made this statement?” he asked. Basit wasn’t the only former player to respond. Ex-Pakistan pacer Tanveer Ahmed also criticised Haris, urging him to focus on his own career before commenting on senior players.
“Mohammad Haris, what kind of big player are you that in an interview you’re saying Babar Azam needs to improve his strike rate? Brother, first build your own value, then say something about a world-class player,” Tanveer said. It is pertinent to mention that from 2019 to 2023, Babar and Mohammad Rizwan formed the backbone of Pakistan’s T20I batting, putting together 3,300 runs at an average of 46.47 — the most prolific partnership in the format.
The right-handed batter, is among the most dominant performers in the shorter format, both internationally and domestically. He has represented Pakistan in 128 matches, scoring 4,223 runs with 34 fifties and three centuries at an average of 39.83 and a strike rate of 129.22, making him the second-highest run-scorer in T20I history.
The debate intensified after Pakistan’s disastrous 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, where the team crashed out in the group stage following a shock defeat to the USA. Since then, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has opted to move forward without the pair. Their last T20I appearance came on December 13, 2024, and neither has featured in the format in 2025.
