Haris Sohail proves selectors that he is a right choice after performing in Fourth Odi

Haris Sohail proves selectors that he is a right choice  after performing in Fourth Odi 

In the earlier games too, there were calls to play Haris due to his sound batting and the ability to chip in with crucial wickets in the middle-overs. But for some reason, Pakistan preferred Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez in the middle-order which naturally blocked the left-hander’s entry.

With the series lost and Pakistan desperate to save face, Sohail returned to the Pakistan’s ODI side after nearly three years on Tuesday and was quick to make the team management realise that they had been wrong in keeping him on the bench for the past two weeks.

Pakistan’s innings begun the way it had in the first three matches with New Zealand snapping up two quick wickets in the first five overs. The visitors lost Ashraf and Babar Azam in 4.4 overs with only 11 runs on board. The tourists clearly looked in danger of yet another disastrous outing. In walked Haris and was quick to make an impression with a few confident strokes.

A 50-run partnership off 47 balls for the third-wicket between Fakhar Zaman and Sohail put Pakistan in control of the proceedings for the first time in the series. Sohail drove anything full with a straight blade and cut the teasing shorter-balls with authority. He hit four fours and struck a gigantic six off Mitchell Santner while dancing down the wicket to push the Kiwi bowlers on the back foot.

AFTER a humiliating defeat at Dunedin, Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed had hinted at making changes in the side when he said the team management will come up with the best eleven during a post-match press conference.

But while there weren't many changes in the team on Tuesday, the batting was shuffled a bit with young all-rounder Faheem Ashraf sent to open the innings while Hasan Ali was handed the new ball. To Pakistan’s dismay, though, both the plans backfired.

However, there was one change in the side, a major one, that handsomely paid off, and that was the induction of talented all-rounder Haris Sohail for senior pro Azhar Ali who had averaged a poor four in the first three one-dayers.

Source: dawn.com