Dawn
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08:15 Jul 20, 2025
In a clip that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) put out following Pakistan’s 3-0 sweep over Bangladesh last month, Mohammad Haris beamed as his captain Salman Ali Agha quipped that “it was probably the first time he had used his brain.” The comment was ironic because Haris is known by the moniker ‘Mr Google’ among his teammates, because of his cricketing intelligence. Such PR content is primarily used to display camaraderie among the players and to provide fans with wholesome moments to cherish. At times, it also provides a peek into the dressing room. Haris, that night, had become the first non-opening batter from Pakistan to score a century in T20Is, while facing only 45 balls — the second least for any batter from his country — to reach the mark. It was also his first century across all T20s. Haris had long been censured for being a reckless slogger and considered not good enough for international cricket. He averaged a paltry 13.46 runs per dismissal and lasted only 11 balls per innings before the home T2...