Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez praised teenage debutant Haider Ali’s composure after the pair combined to set up Pakistan’s five-run v...
Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez praised teenage debutant Haider Ali’s composure after the pair combined to set up Pakistan’s five-run victory over England in their tour-ending third Twenty20 international at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
It was Pakistan’s first victory in 66 days of being in a bio-secure bubble in England amid the coronavirus and meant they squared this three-match series at 1-1 after a 1-0 loss in last month’s three-Test series.
Hafeez made 86 not out and Haider 54 in Pakistan’s 190-4.
There was a 20-year age gap between the 39-year-old Hafeez and the 19-year-old Haider but you would not have known it while they shared a stand of exactly 100 after coming together at 32-2.
Hafeez’s knock followed his 69 in England’s five-wicket win at Old Trafford on Sunday and was his fourth fifty in his last five T20 international innings.
Haider came in at 2-1 after opener Fakhar Zaman was out for one but demonstrated a maturity well beyond his years during a 28-ball fifty featuring five fours and two sixes.
“He was good under pressure and just expressed himself,” said player of the series Hafeez of Haider in a post-match interview with Sky Sports.
“I was just trying to back him every time, tell him ‘you are playing well, continue like that,’”...
