Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem from India

[MenInG]

India have called up left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem as precautionary cover for Kuldeep Yadav, who has complained of pain in his left shoulder, for the third Test against South Africa.

The spinner has never represented the country before, but has made a name for himself in the IPL. He also has a strong record in domestic first-class cricket, having taken 424 wickets at an average of 28.59 in red-ball cricket. Since the start of the 2012/13 Ranji Trophy season, no-one has taken more wickets in India's premier red-ball competition.

India have already won the series, having taken both Tests so far. But captain Virat Kohli has made clear that, with World Test Championship points still up for grabs, India will not be easing off in the final game.

India's other front-line spin options include Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, both of whom have featured in the first two Test. Kuldeep will remain in the squad alongside Shahbaz.

Squad

Virat Kohli (c), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill, Shahbaz Nadeem

 

[MenInG]

Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem became the 296th from India to be handed a Test cap. Nadeem, added in the squad a day before the third Test in Ranchi as cover for the injured Kuldeep Yadav, was included in India’s Playing XI, coming in for Ishant Sharma, who was rested for the final game of the series.

One of the most consistent performers in the domestic circuit, Nadeem has taken 424 First-Class wickets and holds the distinctive record of taking more than 50 wickets across two successive editions of the Ranji Trophy – in 2015-16, 2016-17. He’s led India A to wins in New Zealand and England, and been the linchpin of Jharkhand’s rise in the Indian domestic circuit.

In July earlier this year, Nadeem was at the forefront of India A’s success against West Indies A when he claimed a match-haul of 10 wickets. He took 5/62 in the first innings and followed it up with figures of 5/47 in the second. It was Nadeem’s fifth 10-wicket-haul in a match. More recently, just last month, Nadeem orchestrated another handsome win for India A, against South Africa A.

Last October, Nadeem earned his maiden India call-up for the three T20Is against West Indies, and although he hasn’t represented his country yet, the left-arm spinner was happy with the way he was making progress. His selection came on the back of a List A record, which saw Nadeem return the best figures in the format.

Playing for Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2018-19, Nadeem picked up 8/10 against Rajasthan, skittling them 73. He broke a 21-year-long record that was held by Mumbai’s Rahul Sanghvi and joined a list where names like Chaminda Vaas and Michael Holding are now behind him.

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...p-becomes-296th-test-player-from-india-900711

 

[jnaveen1980]

Came through the ranks. Purely based on domestic performances just like Mayank, Vihari. I am not sure i agree with another left armer. But he deserves a shot based on his domestic performance.

 

[MP2011]

Have high hopes from Nadeem, seems like a talented and hard working bloke.

 

[Local.Dada]

Don't rate him. Hardworking FC journeyman player but not a long term prospect.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Don't rate him. Hardworking FC journeyman player but not a long term prospect.

Hold your horses. He hasn't even bowled yet. People were also not rating Vihari and Aggarwal. Both of them proved themselves.

 

[Local.Dada]

Hold your horses. He hasn't even bowled yet. People were also not rating Vihari and Aggarwal. Both of them proved themselves.

I will be more than happy to be proven wrong. I am just basing this on what I have seen of him so far.

 

[Slog]

Don't rate him. Hardworking FC journeyman player but not a long term prospect.

This is arguably the worst era of playing spin and he will play in India.

 

[King_Kohli]

Have high hopes from Nadeem, seems like a talented and hard working bloke.

Yes he is..
But in reality in Indian cricket ,there are 3 quality players are competing for each position whether it is batting or bowling.

 

[Hasan123]

I didn’t expect him to play for India.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Poor guy, Sir Jadeja is at the peak of his powers and no way is he going to be replaced. We could do with a quality off spinner though, Ashwin's fitness is suspect and he is already 33.

 

[MenInG]

Maiden wicket for Nadeem - that of a well settled Bavuma

 

[MenInG]

Decent performance, taken 2/22 in 11.2 overs in 1st innings

 

[SensiblePakFan]

Solid start.

 

[MenInG]

And 2/18 in 2nd innings so 4 wickets in his debut Test.

 

[MenInG]

Shahbaz Nadeem, the India left-arm spinner, who made his international debut against South Africa earlier this month, lauded Virat Kohli as the best captain in the game at the moment.

Nadeem made his Test debut in the third and final Test in Ranchi, which India won by an innings and 202 runs, and returned 2/22 and 2/18 in each innings. Despite that, he missed out on selection for the Tests against Bangladesh, with Kuldeep Yadav regaining fitness, but was full of praise for the way Kohli went about captaincy.

"Virat (Kohli) is an amazing captain. I must say he is the best captain in the world," Nadeem told Times of India. "He leads by example. He is a born leader. Not just on the field, (but) also keeps the dressing room atmosphere alive. He helps every bowler on the field. With his aggression and batting prowess, he has taken Indian cricket to another level. This Indian team is the best in the world."

Nadeem accounted for Temba Bavuma and Anrich Nortje in the first innings, and added the scalps of Theunis de Bruyn and Lungi Nqidi in successive balls in the second innings to wrap up the match at his home venue. It was a fine performance on his debut for Nadeem, having waited over a decade to represent the national team, but he was still touched by a gesture from the rest of the team.

“When Virat was given the winners' trophy, he, along with all the team members, asked me to hold the trophy," Nadeem revealed. "I want to thank him for showing confidence in me.

"I am happy that I took four wickets in the match. I have played a lot of domestic matches and have a lot of experience. I want to use all of that experience in my international career. I am happy with my debut. Both of us (Kohli and I) were discussing wickets and different situations during the match. Our plans worked really well against South Africa.”

Nadeem picked up four wickets on his Test debut in RanchiNadeem picked up four wickets on his Test debut in Ranchi
Nadeem was also full of praise for Rohit Sharma. The Mumbai batsman was a roaring success in his first series as India's Test opener as he scored 529 runs in four innings, including a double-century.

"Rohit has always been a great batsman," said Nadeem. "If you see his record, especially in the last five years, it shows how classy a player he is. He knows how to answer his critics with his bat. We all know his record in limited-overs cricket. When he got the chance in Tests, he made every moment count. He is phenomenal."

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1474879

 

[King_Kohli]

“When Virat was given the winners' trophy, he, along with all the team members, asked me to hold the trophy," Nadeem revealed. "I want to thank him for showing confidence in me.

"Virat (Kohli) is an amazing captain. I must say he is the best captain in the world," Nadeem told Times of India. "He leads by example. He is a born leader. Not just on the field, (but) also keeps the dressing room atmosphere alive. He helps every bowler on the field. With his aggression and batting prowess, he has taken Indian cricket to another level. This Indian team is the best in the world."

 

[andy0204]

“When Virat was given the winners' trophy, he, along with all the team members, asked me to hold the trophy," Nadeem revealed. "I want to thank him for showing confidence in me.

"Virat (Kohli) is an amazing captain. I must say he is the best captain in the world," Nadeem told Times of India. "He leads by example. He is a born leader. Not just on the field, (but) also keeps the dressing room atmosphere alive. He helps every bowler on the field. With his aggression and batting prowess, he has taken Indian cricket to another level. This Indian team is the best in the world."

If he's so good why didn't he picked Nadeem in Bangladesh tour.

 

[WengerOut]

Virat is a great captain, now I have heard it all.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Former Indian cricketer Shahbaz Nadeem has retired from all forms of Indian cricket, pulling the curtains down on his 20-year-long career.

The left-arm spinner said that after quitting Indian cricket, he wished to ply his trade in various domestic leagues around the world.

“I was considering my retirement for a long time, and now I have decided that I am retiring from all three formats. I always felt that when you have some motivation, then you keep motivating yourself to perform well,” Nadeem told ESPNcricinfo.

“However, now that I know that I may not get a chance in the Indian team, so, it is better that I give a chance to the young cricketers. Now I am also planning to play in T20 leagues around the world,” he added.

Later, he also dropped a post on his social media handle to make the announcement.

Nadeem last played competitive cricket in Jharkhand’s Ranji Trophy 2024 match against Rajasthan in Jamshedpur, where he picked up 3 wickets and scored 46 runs.

In first-class, List A and T20 cricket, Nadeem picked up 542, 175 and 125 wickets respectively with 32 five-wicket hauls, 33 four-wicket hauls and 7 10-wicket hauls.

Maiden cap from Virat Kohli
Back in 2019, Nadeem made his Test debut for India against South Africa at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. He got his maiden cap from Virat Kohli and shared his joy on social media.

“Really happy to be part of this Indian team, this feeling can't be described in words, thanks everyone and keep supporting, thanks to Allah,” Nadeem had written.

Nadeem played only 2 Tests for India, in which he picked up 8 wickets. The 34-year-old also played 72 matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and accounted for 48 scalps at an economy rate of 7.56.

Source: India Today