- Urdu version is attached here
- Video interview is available here
Lahore, 11 January 2024: Haroon Arshad is ready to relish the ICC U19 World Cup challenge in South Africa and is confident in his ability to do the job for Pakistan U19. He played three one-day games against Sri Lanka U19 in the home series last year. The right-handed batter belongs to Karachi and started his cricket quite early with the support of his father, who himself was an amateur player.
Talking to PCB Digital about his upbringing and introduction to cricket he said, “Like every kid, I started playing street cricket but then my father introduced me to proper hard-ball cricket because he too used to play at club level. My parents have always supported me in this journey and they believe that kids should be allowed to excel in their field of interest. My sisters pursued the medical field and I got into cricket.”
Haroon progressed through the various age group ranks as he represented Karachi Region U13, Sindh Whites U16, Sindh Blues U19 and Karachi Region Whites U19 on his way to representing Pakistan U19 team. As a right-hand batter, he likes to time his shots and play freely while also boasting an impeccable defence. He also follows Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam because of his sound technique and cracking cover drives. Moreover, he was quick to praise Babar’s fluent hundred against New Zealand in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
Pakistan U19 assistant batting coach Muhammad Masroor, who has been a witness to Haroon’s progress on all age group levels said, “I’ve seen him since he was a little kid and I was thoroughly impressed by his mechanics as a batter. He always looked ahead of his time and was eager to learn everything about the game. It feels great to see him part of the Pakistan U19 team for the World Cup.”
In the National U16 Cup 2021-22, Haroon impressed with the bat as he accumulated 282 runs at an average of 56 in five games. With his rise to the U19 level in the 2023-24 season, he scored 172 runs in five games at an average of 43.
Regarding the preparations for ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2024, Haroon stated, “We have prepared well for this challenge and Mohammad Yousuf has shared his knowledge of the South African conditions with us during the camp. We have tried to emulate those conditions in training sessions too. Hopefully, the results will be in our favour as we enter the tournament.”
