[VID] In Shadab Khan, Pakistan now have a dependable batter aside from talented leg-spinner, fielder

[MenInG]

Writing for FirstPost, Saj explains why to Shadab Khan, Pakistan can now also add the label of a more than able and dependable batsman too.

The archetypal image of a spin-bowler in Test matches from yesteryear was generally one of a cricketer who was called in to perform a specialist role by the captain at certain points in a game. Nothing much more than his prescribed set of overs was expected of him. Any other aspects of the game that the player could contribute in were considered a bonus and nothing more.

However, the recent phenomena of the rise in popularity of the shorter formats of the game has created a change in the role of players with each member of the team now expected to put in more than what his speciality might say on the team sheet.

For the top teams of the world, having cricketers who can excel in multiple facets of the game is no longer just a luxury. The need for such players who can give any top side an advantage is more of a necessity in today's game.

Whilst the higher quality sides in the world have generally been better at discovering such multidimensional cricketers, Pakistan, for reasons best known to themselves, have struggled to uncover such talent for the Test format.

This was the case until the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to organise its own brand of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament. In 2017, the name of Shadab Khan was heard for the first time around the world when he performed outstandingly well for his side Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), taking nine wickets in eight matches. The unanimous verdict on Shadab’s talent was one of fascination, appreciation and a bright future was forecast for the young leg-spinner.

With the manner in which he performed in the away series against the West Indies in 2017, it soon became clear to followers of the game that a very special talent was making its way to stardom through international cricket.

From his PSL exploits, Shadab could have just been another one of the many T20 specialists on the circuit, but it now appeared that no format of the game was a challenge for a cricketer whose infectious optimism on the field was a thing of joy for his captain. His back-to-back 'Man of the Match' awards against the West Indies in his first two international games in 2017 was a fair indication of better things to come and the youngster’s record in the Champions Trophy later in the year was only a confirmation of his enormous talent.

The young leg-spinner played an important role in Pakistan’s unexpected triumph in the ICC’s 50-over mega event in the summer of 2017. Not only did his bowling inspire his side but his fantastic fielding efforts were like a breath of fresh air for a Pakistan side where having energy and a willingness to succeed were considered radical concepts. Many who remember the final of the Champions Trophy will recall the amazing presence of mind of an 18-year-old playing in front of a packed Oval, where he not only took an excellent catch to dismiss the brilliant Virat Kohli but later convinced his captain to take a successful lbw decision review against the destructive Yuvraj Singh.

An admirable record in the shorter formats of the game was something which was almost expected from young Shadab, who seemed to have maturity much beyond his years. It seemed that anything he touched would turn to gold and all that remained was for him to enhance his abilities in the format considered to be the ultimate test of technique and character for all cricketers.

For a few years, Pakistan’s spin bowling department in Tests had relied on the very dependable Yasir Shah. For Shadab, to find a place in the Pakistan Test squad, Yasir’s form had to take an unexpected dip or he had to become unavailable for selection which, given the supreme abilities of the Test leg-spinner, seemed unlikely.

As it transpired, the Pakistan think-tank felt that Shadab would be a good stable-mate for the much more experienced Yasir and he was included in the team for the second Test match against the West Indies in 2017 and so began a new chapter in the fast-developing career of the leg-spinner.

Whilst the introduction to the long format was not as rewarding as his exploits in the Twenty20 and ODI arena, the intensity and energy that he possessed was visible to all and it appeared just a matter of time before he could become a regular member of the team.

The injury to Yasir for the 2018 Test tour of Ireland and England was exactly the break that Shadab needed to make a name for himself in the longer format of the game. His bowling performances in the warm-up games leading up to the historic Test against Ireland was one thing, but what caught the attention of many was his fantastic ability to bat as he has shown by hitting fifties in three consecutive Test matches on the current tour.

Suddenly, Pakistan had a player who could stand his ground in batting against some top-class bowling and help his side’s batting order in a cool, calm and unfazed manner to pull them out of some embarrassing situations. To Shadab, the talented leg-spinner and fielder, Pakistan could add the label of a more than able and dependable batsman too.

Shadab’s favourite player Steve Smith also started off his career as a leg-spinner and there is a temptation to draw parallels between the careers of both players. But Shadab is having none of that, as he feels that his real use for the team at the moment is as a bowler. To that end, the young leg-spinner has a long way to go before he can start to challenge Yasir for a position in the Pakistan Test team as the primary leg-spin option — all of which could easily change if Shadab’s progress in Test cricket continues unabated at the current rate.

While all around him rave about his skills, his potential and his brilliant introduction to international cricket, Shadab in his own likeable style, just shrugs his shoulders, smiles shyly and takes all the hype in his stride.

https://www.firstpost.com/firstcrick...r-4492963.html

[MenInG]

He is still the highest run-scorer in the Leeds Test so far (56) which tells you something about his abilities. Absolutely brilliant this guy.

[PakSarZameen]

Great batsman and fielder, but his bowling is not cut out to be our 4th bowler in Tests.

Mind you, Fahim looked like our 4th bowler in this series, Shadab barely even looks like a 5th bowler.

[rizwanak]

Shadab is the ultimate all rounder we were looking for

[Zaz]

At only 19 the skys the limit for this guy Hope he continues to work n train hard and keeps a level head because hes a potential star in the making

[Hasan123]

So much to like about him. He is truly blessed in all 3 facets of the game.

[AssassinatedDevil]

Has the potential to be one of Pakistan's greatest ever cricketers. Truly a blessing for this team. Just needs to keep his head down and not go the Akmal Junior route. Our future captain I say!

[mueez14]

He is avg batsman.. not bad.. but not a test legspinner by anyways... v.good odi n t20 allrounder but not test quality spinner..

[MenInG]

And yes and yes! What a player.

[leatherface58]

A cool customer.

[iPakistani]

20 years old and improving day by day. Will only get better Inshallah.

[MenInG]

Nerves of steel Shadab Khan:

20 years old, but it seems as if he has been playing international cricket for 20 years#SAvPAK #Cricket

— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) January 19, 2019

[pakistani pride]

PAK should play him at 5. He can be a very good bat at 5.

[Chokli]

he is fine to have at number 7 for test matches but for LOI it's a big no no.

he has the younis khan syndrome, he won't be able to replicate his success in tests at 7 to LOI at 7.


he is brilliant to have in the side at number 8 though... i'd rather have talat/imad/faheem at 7.

[Chokli]

PAK should play him at 5. He can be a very good bat at 5.

you can't have a bowler who can hold a bat as your main batsman.

[TeymurBlake]

He played well. He should come ahead of Sarfaraz Ahmed.

[Greenstorm]

Should bat at 5. Needs to improve his game against spin.

[Fahdi]

I am not convinced about him as a batsman in LOIs. In Tests he can be a very good batsman I feel capable of averaging 36-37 which is great considering that he is an allrounder, might be a bit weak against spin though.

[Slim]

I hope he works on both his batting and bowling. Always rated him a better bat than the likes of Hassan and Faheem. Heck, hes even doing better than our captain who is playing as a specialist captain nowadays apparently.

[ManFan]

As of now, he is a decent leg-spinner who can control the run-rate during the middle overs.

As a batsman, he has neither the power nor the strokes to bat at a higher position.

I would keep him in the squad and tell him to strictly focus on his bowling.

[Ahmed216]

I am not convinced about him as a batsman in LOIs. In Tests he can be a very good batsman I feel capable of averaging 36-37 which is great considering that he is an allrounder, might be a bit weak against spin though.

There is great scope for improvement in his LOI batting because he has very good basics of technique and temprament.
He's very good under pressure for his age.

[pakistani pride]

you can't have a bowler who can hold a bat as your main batsman.

We are playing Malik at 5...

[Chokli]

We are playing Malik at 5...

yeah and we should replace him with shan masood or rizwan

[Slim]

yeah and we should replace him with shan masood or rizwan

And why would be foolish enough to replace Malik with players who have no ability to accelerate innings?

[Chokli]

And why would be foolish enough to replace Malik with players who have no ability to accelerate innings?

and how can you be so foolish to jump to conclusions when shan and rizwan haven't even had the opportunity to be in maliks place?

[Slim]

and how can you be so foolish to jump to conclusions when shan and rizwan haven't even had the opportunity to be in maliks place?

Have you never seen them bat or seen their strike rates?

[Chokli]

Have you never seen them bat or seen their strike rates?

has masood even been given a chance yet? he's yet to make his debut.

rizwan has done well in the recent pakistan A games.

[b.lesner]

Wastes too many balls , shouldn't bat less than 8.
Remember asia cup he was like 3 or 30 something then got out on 120kph bouncer from soumya sarkar . Nearly lost today's match . He maybe a good bits and pieces batsman in test but for odi he is dreadful

[coy0607]

really feel he should be batting at 4 or 5. I would feel much more comfortable with him batting in middle overs than Malik or Sarfraz, and maybe even Hafeez. Shadab's game is just better suited

And I feel Malik and Hafeez are better for the last 15-20 overs anyway

[Prince of Pakistan]

He is a world class talent with a lot of potential with the bat as well.

He supported Hafeez very well. The best part was his batting temperament and the way he handled Olivier. Pak would have collapsed further if Shadab had not shown maturity. He is already a lot better than Sarfraz and Imad. The difference lies in the better defence which allows him to handle extreme pacers very well.

[Da_Future_Knick]

Shadab should be batting above Malik

[pakistani pride]

yeah and we should replace him with shan masood or rizwan

You cant put Masood at 5 and why not try Shadab? We have 14 ODIs left till the WC and should try things. Malik at 5 during the WC is a disaster.

[Rana]

He’s not the finished article but can definitely bat! Faheem should be the one we push but he’s been disappointing. Today Pakistan had batting until number 10! That’s very good

[pakistani pride]

He’s not the finished article but can definitely bat! Faheem should be the one we push but he’s been disappointing. Today Pakistan had batting until number 10! That’s very good

TBF Faheem usually bats at 7 or 8. Today for example he could have com earlier. Lets hope they give him a chance this series.

[Rana]

Imam
Fakhar
Babar
Sarfaraz
Malik
Hafeez
Shadab
Imad
Faheem
Hassan
Amir

Actually a solid team

[The Viper]

Bowled extremely well. Van Der Dussen really struggled against him.

[Bewal Express]

Bowled extremely well. Van Der Dussen really struggled against him.

I agree, this was a bowler who knew exactly what he was doing. I spoke to an old coach of his and we got talking about Shadabs bowling and the point i made was that the most important thing for him is to develop a sharply spun leg spinner, pitching on middle stump and today i saw evidence of that.

[Mamoon]

His circus act needs to end as well. Poor bowler, pathetic batsman and a complete show-off in the field.

He is still milking the second edition of PSL.

[Mercurial]

He is a tailender with the bat in the T20I format. However should be persisted with in the ODI and Test formats, where he can bat. He should be dropped from this format. Mohammad Mohsin is the future. A leg spinner who can bat and hit big.

[Mamoon]

He is a tailender with the bat in the T20I format. However should be persisted with in the ODI and Test formats, where he can bat. He should be dropped from this format. Mohammad Mohsin is the future. A leg spinner who can bat and hit big.

He cannot bat in any format. He does worse tuk tuk than Misbah when he gets to bat in the middle-order in ODIs, and he cannot hit at all. His pathetic SR tells a story.

In Tests, he is nothing more than a 20 odd average batsman.

An all-round poor cricketer who would not be indispensable in any serious cricket team.

A glorified tail-ender and a glorified part-timer spinner but a full-time actor in the field.

[Markhor]

A Shadab Special today.

[Markhor]

His circus act needs to end as well. Poor bowler, pathetic batsman and a complete show-off in the field.

He is still milking the second edition of PSL.

PSL is turning out to be a curse. Any mediocre player can have their day in the sun in this second rate league.

[Firebat]

By far the best fielder in Pakistan, some stunning takes in the 1st ODI vs WI today.

[shamaan]

Shadab is on the same level in terms of fielding as Jadeja

[Dagestani_Eagle]

His bowling has improved a lot.

Can play just a specialist spinner and fielder in limited overs

[ChTab]

His bowling has improved a lot.

Can play just a specialist spinner and fielder in limited overs

Pakistan need him in test XI asap.

[Mamoon]

It is 2022 and the Shadab scam continues to the point where he has been rewarded with vice-captaincy.

A below average bowler and batsman. Good fielder though, but he fields for the cameras and will try to make a regulation catch look like a blinder with his theatrics.

He is still milking PSL 2017 and the T20I series in the Caribbean afterwards. There was a time when he used to have a dangerous googly but those days are gone now, his leg break has always been crap and he is a useless batsman in any position.

As much as I dislike Usman Qadir for deluding himself into thinking that he could play for Australia, he is a much better and skilled leg spinner than Shadab - he has more variations and can actually turn the ball.

[MenInG]

[Ahmed216]

It is 2022 and the Shadab scam continues to the point where he has been rewarded with vice-captaincy.

A below average bowler and batsman. Good fielder though, but he fields for the cameras and will try to make a regulation catch look like a blinder with his theatrics.

He is still milking PSL 2017 and the T20I series in the Caribbean afterwards. There was a time when he used to have a dangerous googly but those days are gone now, his leg break has always been crap and he is a useless batsman in any position.

As much as I dislike Usman Qadir for deluding himself into thinking that he could play for Australia, he is a much better and skilled leg spinner than Shadab - he has more variations and can actually turn the ball.

Shadab khan was the best spinner in last world cup

[Firebat]

Continues to disappoint with the bat.

Since Jul 2018, he's played 22 ODI innings at an average of 16 and an SR of 69.

[Shafi]

It is 2022 and the Shadab scam continues to the point where he has been rewarded with vice-captaincy.

A below average bowler and batsman. Good fielder though, but he fields for the cameras and will try to make a regulation catch look like a blinder with his theatrics.

He is still milking PSL 2017 and the T20I series in the Caribbean afterwards. There was a time when he used to have a dangerous googly but those days are gone now, his leg break has always been crap and he is a useless batsman in any position.

As much as I dislike Usman Qadir for deluding himself into thinking that he could play for Australia, he is a much better and skilled leg spinner than Shadab - he has more variations and can actually turn the ball.

Usman Qadir is in the team because of friendship with Babar.

[MenInG]

Shadab Khan brings up his half-century, a much-needed innings!

PAK 207/6 with 7 overs to go.

What score should they target?#PAKvWI pic.twitter.com/lViTOwiig7

— PakPassion.net (@PakPassion) June 12, 2022

[Saj]

He's underachieved with the bat in international cricket so far.

This is his first 50+ score in international cricket since June 2018 when he made 56 against England in a Test match at Leeds.

Needs to add some consistency to his batting, too often he's out to silly shots.

[Dagestani_Eagle]

He's underachieved with the bat in international cricket so far.

This is his first 50+ score in international cricket since June 2018 when he made 56 against England in a Test match at Leeds.

Needs to add some consistency to his batting, too often he's out to silly shots.

He needs to bat higher than what he's currently.

Then only he will show consistency

[MenInG]

Shadab The Destroyer

[MenInG]

Superb innings of 86 from 78 balls from Shadab Khan. An innings that rescued Pakistan and is his highest score in international cricket #PAKvWI #Cricket pic.twitter.com/02wIHnxID9

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) June 12, 2022

[MenInG]

Highest scores at number 7 for Pakistan in ODIs:

109* Abdul Razzaq v S Africa in 2010
89* Sohaib Maqsood v Sri Lanka in 2014
89 Abdul Razzaq v New Zealand in 2004
88 Shahid Afridi v S Africa in 2013
86 Shadab Khan v West Indies today
86 Wasim Akram v Australia in 1990#Cricket

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) June 12, 2022

[PakPremi]

Shadab is third most important player in white ball cricket after Babar and Shaheen. Always contributes in one of the two main disciplines and third discipline fielding is always superb, he is also good candidate for captaincy. Bowled well in both last two world cups (ODI and T20).

[shamaan]

He needs to bat higher than what he's currently.

Then only he will show consistency

I think he came in at the perfect time we're he can get settled and then play his shots.

[sweep_shot]

Shadab is a genuine all-rounder.

He is playing the role of Shahid Afridi now (a bowler who can bat).

[BunnyRabbit]

As much as I was detesting him around this time last year, he's turned it around since wt20 and his bowling form has been on point more often than not. He's become a lot more consistent with his flight and matured with his bowling as opposed to finding form I would say.

Anyone who's seen him knows of the immense batting potential he possesses. He's pretty well rounded in terms of his batting acumen but has more often than not thrown it away. He can play comfortably on the back foot as well as on front foot. Gets a lot of time to get behind the ball and has a good range of shots and power. What he really needs is to calibrate the art of making runs, adapting to the conditions and putting a good price on his wicket. For that I would like him to take a break from t20 leagues especially during the FC season. Hopefully playing FC will help both his batting and bowling.

[BunnyRabbit]

Shadab is a genuine all-rounder.

He is playing the role of Shahid Afridi now (a bowler who can bat).

Afridi didn't become a proper bowler till 2006. Before that, he would often not called upon to bowl. Although I don't see anyone close to possessing the talent that Afridi did especially with the bat.

[shamaan]

As much as I was detesting him around this time last year, he's turned it around since wt20 and his bowling form has been on point more often than not. He's become a lot more consistent with his flight and matured with his bowling as opposed to finding form I would say.

Anyone who's seen him knows of the immense batting potential he possesses. He's pretty well rounded in terms of his batting acumen but has more often than not thrown it away. He can play comfortably on the back foot as well as on front foot. Gets a lot of time to get behind the ball and has a good range of shots and power. What he really needs is to calibrate the art of making runs, adapting to the conditions and putting a good price on his wicket. For that I would like him to take a break from t20 leagues especially during the FC season. Hopefully playing FC will help both his batting and bowling.

He should be playing in SENA conditions.

[Firebat]

Shadab Khan promoted to a Category A white-ball contract for 2022/23, he's been given the faith to kick on now.