My idol is Rohit Sharma, says Pakistan batsman Haider Ali

Pakistan cricketer Haider Ali has impressed many with his heroics in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) this season. He plied his trade for the Peshawar Zalmi while he was also the part of the U19 World Cup for Pakistan which was played in South Africa earlier this year. No wonder his favourite Pakistan batmsan is Babar Azam and wants to emulate him but when asked about his idol, Haider Ali named India’s Rohit Sharma.

The 19-year-old is being considered as the next big thing in Pakistan cricket the way he is batting at the moment. Even for the Zalmi, he amassed 239 runs in nine outings at an impressive strike-rate of 158.25. He had also scored a half-century against India in the semi-final of the U19 World Cup which Pakistan lost.

Recently, Haider Ali said that he is amazed the way Rohit Sharma bats and is overawed by his strike-rate. He also expressed his desire to tweak his game like India’s limited-overs vice-captain. “My idol is Rohit Sharma. The best thing about him is his strike rate and I want that in my game,” the youngster said according to Cricket Pakistan.

Haider Ali had even expressed his liking towards Rohit Sharma during a Q&A session with the fans last week. One of the fans had asked him to pick his favourite batsman between Babar Azam, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. And the talented batsman had picked Rohit then.

Rohit

— Haider Ali (@iamhaideraly) March 26, 2020

I want people to call me Babar Azam and not Virat Kohli, says Haider Ali

Though Haider Ali is willing to develop the shots which Virat Kohli hits, he wants people to call him Babar Azam. However, he is also aware that a players cannot become exactly like their role models but can definitely follow them to become a better version of themselves.

“A batsman can never become like his role models, but can improve himself and develop shots like they play. I want to improve myself to the extent that people call me Babar Azam and not Kohli because Babar has good shots. I cannot become Kohli but can develop shots like him through practice. I’m Haider Ali so I can only become Haider Ali,” Haider had said.