19-year-old Pakistan batsman Haider Ali etched his name on the record books on debut during the third and final T20I against England at the Old Trafford in Manchester on Tuesday. The right-hander became the first Pakistan batsman to score a half-century on T20I debut. Ali ended up with 54 and played a crucial role in helping Pakistan level the series and end the tour on a high.
Previously the record for the highest individual score by a Pakistan batsman on T20I debut was with Umar Amin, wo had scored 47 against the West Indies.
Most runs on T20I debut for Pakistan!
Haider Ali 53* ????????
Umar Amin 47 ??
Mohammad Hafeez 46 ????????
Hussain Talat 41??#ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/lWwN5avh8t— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 1, 2020
Veteran batsman Mohammad Hafeez made 86 not out and and Ali 54 in Pakistan’s 190-4. Haider hit five fours and two sixes in his 33-ball stay in the middle.
There was a 20-year age gap between the 39-year-old Hafeez and the 19-year-old Haider but it was hard to notice the difference as they shared a stand of exactly 100 after coming together at 32-2.
Haider came in at No.3 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,’” he added. “It is great to see youngsters coming from our system and performing well.”
England were 69-4 in their chase before Moeen Ali, who should have been out for seven, revived their hopes with 61.
But when veteran paceman Wahab Riaz, in for the injured Mohammad Amir, ran out Chris Jordan and then caught and bowled Moeen, England were 174-8 with seven balls left.
They needed 12 off two balls when Tom Curran hit a six.
But Curran could not repeat the shot when Haris Rauf bowled a yorker with the last ball of the match.
(With agency inputs)