No matter where Pakistan face England at the MCG on Sunday, Shadab Khan has played a Twenty20 World To remember the cup.
Delivering impressive performances with both bat and ball, the 24-year-old all-rounder helped spark Pakistan’s campaign when all seemed lost.
after losing on the last ball India and Zimbabwe, Shadab pulled them back from the brink with three wickets for their first win against the Netherlands.
He then followed it up with a 22-ball 52 and bowling figures of 2-16 during his man-of-the-match performance against South Africa.
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The Proteas’ subsequent defeat to the Netherlands helped Pakistan reach the semi-finals.
Shadab has been shortlisted for the Player of the Tournament and could win it if Pakistan wins the match against England in Melbourne. Cricket field.
When teammates and coaches talk about Shadab, they all refer to one thing.
Captain Babar Azam said, ‘He brings invaluable energy to the team.’
Shadab’s determination and tireless energy, whether in training or in matches, has fueled Pakistan’s doping World Cup run.
– fire and instinct –
Like many Pakistani cricketers, Shadab too had a modest beginning.
He grew up playing cricket on rough pitches in Mianwali district, a farming community near the banks of the Indus River in Punjab province.
It is also home to former Prime Minister and cricket legend Imran Khan and former captain Misbah-ul-Haq.
People who know him say that Shadab has always been tireless in his dedication.
His club’s coach Sajjad Ahmed said, “Shadab’s commitment to cricket is unparalleled.”
“He slept around 9:00 pm and reached the ground before sunrise.
“That’s been his routine over the years so he can practice as much as possible.”
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It was Ahmed who suggested that Shadab should become an all-rounder and not just focus on batting.
Graduating from club cricket to district level and Pakistan “A”, Shadab participated in the 2016 Junior World Cup in Bangladesh and became the joint top wicket-taker for his team with 11.
A year later, Pakistan Super League franchise Islamabad United picked him up as a rising player.
United’s strategy manager Hassan Cheema recalls, “We were picking players in the PSL 2017 draft and every other team was passing them up so I asked Misbah about them.”
Misbah said that Shadab had fire and instinct which he had not seen in a player for years.
“Six years later you can see his competitive fire and the life he brings to the team is priceless,” Cheema told AFP.
– From boy to man –
But talking only about his energy and commitment runs the risk of undermining Shadab’s talent.
Variation as a leg-spinner is Shadab’s asset and has found him successful in extracting bounce from tough Australian pitches in the World Cup.
He has an attacking style when batting and fielding – his triple ability gives Pakistan flexibility in team selection.
It was the then Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur who brought him into the team in 2017.
“When we got Shadab in the team he was incredibly exciting as a cricketer,” Arthur told AFP from Britain.
“He was athletic and a three-in-one cricketer.”
Since then Shadab has added maturity and confidence to his armoury.
He said, ‘He is a match winner for Pakistan. The difference I have seen is that he has become a man from a boy,” Arthur said.
– leaps and bounds –
Shadab had a dream international debut, when he was adjudged man of the match in Pakistan’s T20 win over West Indies at Bridgetown in 2017.
In the same year, one of Shadab’s finest moments came in a Champions Trophy performance against arch-rivals India, where he trapped Yuvraj Singh in front of the wicket.
English umpire Richard Kettleborough was unfazed, but Shadab convinced captain Sarfaraz Ahmed to review – and was proved right, making Shadab the hero of Pakistan’s victory.
“It was very close to the bat but Shadab was confident that it hit the pads first,” Sarfaraz told AFP.
“It is his confidence on the field that helps and motivates the team and that is why he is improving by leaps and bounds.”
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