Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has said that leading batsman and former captain Babar Azam will bat at the number three position in the T20 series against South Africa.

Speaking at a press conference at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, Hesson said that various options were being considered in preparation for the upcoming World Cup.

He said that Mohammad Haris had been given several opportunities but was unable to make the most of them.

“Haris is a young player and still needs improvement,” he added.

Hesson noted that Usman Khan was performing well against spinners, which earned him a place in the T20I series.

The coach admitted that Pakistan’s loss in the Asia Cup final had been disappointing, calling it “a big day that didn’t go our way.”

He stressed that the team needs improvement in several areas of the T20 format and advised players not part of the current squad to focus on domestic cricket.

Hesson said that Sufiyan Muqeem had been sent back to first-class cricket for further development, while Usman Tariq was an emerging spin talent.

“The upcoming series against South Africa and the tri-nation series will help us explore options for the World Cup,” he said.

The head coach mentioned that Fakhar Zaman remains part of the ODI setup.

“I have spoken to Fakhar, and he needs to work on his game through first-class cricket,” Hesson added.

The T20I series between Pakistan and South Africa will be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore from October 28 to November 1

Pakistan and South Africa will play a three-match ODI series to be held at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from November 4 to 8.

The ODI series will be followed by another three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from November 11 to 15.