Haris Sohail can present a very good case for the Pakistan team management not knowing how to use the skills that he brings to the table.
He has been in and out of the side for six years across formats but is more often than not a casualty with Mickey Arthur and Co banking on seasoned pros to do get the job done. So, there is little surprise that the hard-hitting left-hander was left out for the experience of Shoaib Malik after just one match at the World Cup.
Barring a freak win against hosts England, Pakistan’s stock plummeted with back-to-back losses against Australia and India. The players were subject to a witch-hunt of sorts: on social media, at the stadium, in newsrooms, and even at airports. There were murmurs of a rift in the camp. The knives were out. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s tactics and body language after Pakistan suffered yet another loss to neighbours India in a World Cup match, was heavily criticised.
Heads had to roll and critics trained their guns to Malik, who was out for a golden duck. In came Sohail with Pakistan fighting to stay in the tournament against South Africa, a team knee-deep in crisis.
A discerning viewer of the game can make out the days Pakistan turn up for a contest and when they don’t. Barring the brilliant Mohammad Amir, the rest of the side wore the look of a deer facing headlights against India. There were missed run-out chances and sub-bar bowling performances that killed off any chance they had of putting Virat Kohli and Co under the pump.
It was a far cry from the manner in which they edged out England. After setting a formidable target, Pakistan managed to get regular breakthroughs and held their nerve despite Joe Root and Jos Buttler threatening to take their team over the line. There was spirit and steel on display there.
In a nutshell, it was the fear of failure that had crippled them. The 1992 champions had a week to prepare for the South Africa game. Whether or not Sarfaraz and Co invoked the spirit of the ‘cornered tigers’ from 1992 or not, one can only speculate, but there were little signs of any fragility at Lord’s (barring their abysmal catching, of course).
Sohail epitomised the joie de vivre that went into hiding during Pakistan’s back-to-back losses. And he had come in at a stage when Imran Tahir threatened to derail the good work of Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman up the order. Three wickets had fallen in quick succession. The Proteas, having briefly woken up from their slumber, were sniffing blood with Pakistan’s soft core exposed. Faf du Plessis had brought back pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada into the attack.
Preserving wickets for the last ten overs is the strategy most teams adopt between overs 30-40. but Sohail didn’t hold back. Babar Azam was well set at the other end and Rabada was treated with disdain. The 30-year-old warmed up with a confident-looking drive. Then came the onslaught. The next over from Rabada saw Sohail cause cut loose with abandon. A gorgeous straight drive was followed up with a cracker of a six, taking his front leg out of the way and muscling it on the leg side. He had anticipated the short ball well on that occasion.
Azam’s departure saw Sohail take further control of proceedings with the help of all-rounder Imad Wasim. Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, Imran Tahir and Lungi Ngidi went for boundaries.
The momentum had shifted back to the Pakistan camp. For all of Amir and Wahab Riaz’s brilliance in the second half, overs 30-45 of the Pakistan innings were decisive and showed the rewards of alleviating fear. A rattled South Africa allowing the game to drift also helped.
From being the outsider patiently waiting for his turn, Sohail’s Player of the Match performance has breathed life in Pakistan’s quest for a semi-final spot when there was little hope. Playing sensibly as well, turning over the boundaries at will, Pakistan were missing a batsman in his mold in the middle-order. Among the top sides, India have Hardik Pandya, Australia have Glenn Maxwell and England possess Jos Buttler among others to sprinkle a bit of madness in their method.
Sarfaraz even likened Sohail’s blitzkrieg to a knock Buttler might have played. The hitting was clean and was anything but a slog-a-thon. Sohail’s frustrating wait for chances, which he admitted to at the post-match presentation ceremony, may see its end. But one never knows with the surprises Pakistan can pull off.
It may come as a surprise to some that in the previous edition, the burly batsman was seen as his side’s No 3 before falling out of favour. The need of the hour for Pakistan is to move on from the middle-order axis of Hafeez and Malik. That was when Sohail came as a breath of fresh air and put joy back in the hearts of a Pakistan fan.
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