'Don't become a falooda player' - Mohammad Yousuf suggests Haider Ali to follow the footsteps of Babar Azam, Virat Kohli

19-year-old Haider Ali grabbed many eyeballs due to his impressive performances in the recent edition of Pakistan Super League. Ali amassed 239 runs in nine innings at an average of 29.87. Moreover, it was his strike rate– 158.27– which gained him accolades. Many fans are even calling for his inclusion in the national T20I side.

Meanwhile, Pakistan veteran Mohammad Yousuf wants the youngster to enhance and improve his shot selection instead of getting carried away by his recent PSL performances. While speaking in a YouTube video, Yousuf advised the 19-year-old to improve his batting technique. According to Yousuf, it’s easier to slog as anyone can slog; Ali needs to work on his shot selection.

“Haider Ali plays too many shots and needs a better shot selection. If he wants to improve his overall game then he needs to work on his technique,” said Yousuf.

‘It’s easy to slog as anyone can slog’: Mohammad Yousuf

“It is easy to slog as anyone can slog. You are either successful or miss out when you are trying to smash every ball out of the park,” he added.

The former Pakistan international also added that Ali needs to follow the likes of current stalwarts of the game like Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, and Babar Azam. Yousuf cited the example of Babar Azam who is not regarded as a slogger but still is ranked No.1 in the T20 format and his average is 50.

Yousuf also cautioned Ali to improve his batting on a daily basis and follow the footsteps of Babar Azam instead of becoming a ‘falooda’ player or a slogger.

“Haider needs to follow the likes of Kohli, Smith and Babar Azam,” he said. “Look where Babar has reached in three years of international cricket. He is not a slogger but a proper player, who plays proper cricket. His strike rate is above 130 and his average is 50, which is why he is the number one Twenty20 (T20) player and top five in One-day Internationals (ODIs) and Tests.”

“I want to caution Haider Ali that you can play at a fast pace, but you need to improve your batting on a daily basis. Try to follow the example of proper players like Babar Azam. Please don’t become a falooda player or a slogger,” concluded Yousuf.