Mohammad Haris has been left out of Pakistan’s T20I squad to tour New Zealand, and while chief selector Wahab Riaz insists he has been “rested”, it is still an odd move.

There has surely never been a squad announcement that has been met with total approval and no grumbling, and, given the febrile state Pakistan cricket finds itself in, that feels even more implausible right now.

This is the second squad Wahab has presided over so far, with the Test squad that is touring Australia sparking controversy due to Haris Rauf’s withdrawal. Salman Butt’s 24-hour tenure on the selection panel didn’t help matters. This time, it is Mohammad Haris’ absence that has frustrated Pakistan fans.

In the case of Rauf – who returns for the T20Is – Wahab was quick to clarify that the quick’s absence was his own choice, fuelling the fire with a lengthy and at times critical explanation. Now, his reasoning as to why Haris has been left out leaves more questions than answers: “Haris is rested because there were some first-class performers and we saw Haris’ capability and since he’s part of our plans going forward, we want to use our pool of players.”

Is Haris rested or out because of these other first-class performers, and could they rise above him in the queue? If he’s part of the plans going forward, why is he not part of the plans right now? Pakistan’s schedule ahead of the T20 World Cup has largely evaporated. Series against West Indies and Netherlands have been postponed, while the dates for a pencilled-in trip to Ireland are yet to be announced. The five T20Is in New Zealand might form more than half of their remaining fixtures before the World Cup in West Indies and the USA. Based on the previous two events, in which they reached the semi-final and the final, they should be among the front-runners. Haris’ absence suggests either muddled thinking in terms of their preparation, leaving out an important player for an important series, or that they don’t view him as being that important in the first place.

Should Mohammad Haris be in Pakistan’s T20I squad?

A cursory glance at Haris’ stats point towards the latter conclusion. He averages 14 from nine T20Is, striking at 127. But revisiting his maiden World Cup knock, only his second in T20I cricket, serves as a reminder of why he is special.

First, the context. Pakistan had been beaten by India (thanks to a Virat Kohli masterclass) and Zimbabwe (in the Pak Bean derby). Their only win had come against Netherlands. They needed to win their last two games and hope for upsets elsewhere. South Africa had hammered Bangladesh and eased past India to put themselves in pole position to reach the semi-finals. Fakhar Zaman had been ruled out by injury.

Haris walked in at No.3 inside the first over after Mohammad Rizwan had chopped on. The second ball he faced, from Wayne Parnell, bounced more than expected and clocked him on the grille. A concussion check followed, and Haris was deemed fine to continue. The third and fourth balls he faced, sent down either side of the 140kph mark by Kagiso Rabada, were flicked into the stands. The sixth was pulled crisply for four.

Another four and six followed, before Haris fell in the fourth over, for 28 off 11. It’s not an exaggeration to say the complexion of Pakistan’s campaign, not just the game, had been changed. Despite Babar Azam also falling inside the powerplay, and Shan Masood just after, Pakistan still made 185 and won comfortably.

Against Bangladesh, Pakistan knew, after Netherlands had shocked the Proteas, that victory would see them into the last four, and batted like a team under pressure. They had scored just 61 by the time Rizwan fell in the 12th over. Again, Haris changed the mood, this time with 31 off 18. In the semi-final, he played the sensible hand, guiding Pakistan to the brink of victory in a small chase against New Zealand.

There has been little else of note since, but three innings out of nine represents a decent hit rate for a 22-year-old hitter with a penchant for taking the game on. And the signs from domestic cricket are that he’s becoming deadlier. This year, his average in T20 cricket has nudged above 25, and his strike rate above 150. In this year’s PSL, he averaged 32, and struck at 186.

Pakistan’s side is not in need of another player to average 40 and see them through the innings. In Babar and Rizwan, they have two of the best in the world at that. Instead, they need a No.3 who will ensure any platforms are capitalised on. Haris could be that player, but, early as he is in his career, he needs the backing to do so. He has come in from nowhere before to change things in an instant. But that is no reason to force him to do so this time.

Pakistan’s T20I squad to face New Zealand

Shaheen Afridi (c), Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan.