Netizens react after Mohammad Haris dropped from New Zealand T20I tour

| 2025-01-16 07:33:38

The right-handed batter is one of the best power hitters in the country

Mohammad Haris has been rested for the five-match New Zealand series in January. — PCB

Pakistan’s squad for the five-time T20I series against New Zealand was announced by Chief Selector Wahab Riaz and his consultant Kamran Akmal during a press conference in Lahore on Tuesday.

Haris emerged as one of the finest T20 batters in a very short period and showcased his prowess in leagues all over the world.

The 22-year-old’s exclusion from the squad came as a surprise to the fans as they were expecting to see the right-handed fearless batter in action in New Zealand’s conditions.

"We have rested Mohammad Haris for this series. We know his capability and he is part of our plans going forward. There were some domestic performers in First Class cricket who we wanted to give a chance and increase our pool of players, so we rested Haris from this tour," Wahab said.

Here is how fans on X, formerly Twitter, reacted

Pakistan’s squad:

Shaheen Afridi (c), Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mojammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan.

Remember, the Pakistan cricket team is currently in Australia to play a three-match Test series in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle which will conclude on January 7.

Just five days after the conclusion of the Test series, Pakistan is scheduled to play their first T20I match against New Zealand on January 12.

After skipper Babar Azam stepped down as the captain of all formats, Shaheen Shah Afridi was named the skipper of the shorter format by the PCB.

Shaheen — who is considered one of the finest bowlers in the world, especially with the new ball — will have his first assignment as the captain against the runner-ups of the 2021 T20 World Cup.