Pakistan have announced a 29-member squad which will tour England in July for a three Test matches and as many T20Is. Along with calling back the likes of Sohail Khan and Sarfaraz Ahmed, PCB has also awarded young Haider Ali for his sensational performance in the domestic circuit. The 19-year old batsman has every shot in his book which can challenge the best of the bowlers. In the Under-19 played earlier this year in South Africa, Haider played some decent knocks and impressed one and all. He also scored a vital half century against arch rivals India in the semi-finals but his efforts went in vain as the Boys in Green lost the encounter by 10 wickets. Pakistan Squad for England Tour 2020 Announced.

Nevertheless, he extended his stellar form and tormented the bowlers while playing for Peshawar Zalmi in the 2020 edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). In fact, he is the youngest batsmen ever to score a half-century in the history of PSL. He achieved the feat when he scored 69 runs off just 43 balls against Lahore Qalandars.

Owing to his blitzes in PSL 2020, many comparisons were drawn between him and the likes of Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. However, Ali made it crystal clear that he wants to become like his compatriot Azam rather than the captain.

"A batsman can never become like his role models but can improve himself and develop shots as 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," said Ali in a YouTube video for Cricket Pakistan.

Well, the youngster certainly has a long way to go. However, his journey in international cricket has been started. The pitches in England will certainly give him a great exposure as tackling the swinging deliveries in England is certainly not an easy job. So it will be interesting to see whether Ali will rise to the occasion or the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad will dominate him.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 12, 2020 02:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).