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Shadab Khan as a middle-order batter in Pakistan's limited over team?

On his current form, I will rate him as the best LOI spinning allrounder from Asia. Better than Shakib,Nabi, Hasaranga or Jadeja. Before angry Shakib & Jadeja fans come at me, I will repeat, it's simply based on current form, not overall career or legacy. Undoubtedly those two have certified themselves as legends & Shadab has a lot of catching to do to reach their level as far as legacy is concerned. I think he has also won the race amongst his countrymen After Afridi, Malik & Hafeez went behind the curtains there's been an intense competition between him,Imad & Nawaz. Even just a year ago it seemed he had lost it. But now age,fitness, form & being part of inner circle has surely given him an unreachable advantage.
 
First of all Shadab has great batting record in PSL as a no. 4 batter.

Secondly, time and time again whenever he has been promoted or has come to bat in middle overs in format. He has impacted the innings positively. Whether it be a 25 runs blitz or a match winning 50.

He not only play spin but takes the attack to them. Hits the spinners for maximum in the middle overs and continue on the momentum. Which is much needed for any team in the middle overs.

Should Pakistan try him at no. 4 and 5 permanently? This also frees up a space down the order where Pakistan could play an additional bowler, batter or an all rounder.
 
As long as imad is in the scene shadab will have to run for is money no more permanent member of the team
 
Former Pakistan cricketer Iqbal Qasim, during a program on a local channel, discussed the utilization of Shadab as a top-order batter:

"Most probably, I think Shadab Khan is hinting that they should send him up the order. Because of the way he bats and the manner in which he talks about scoring quickly. He is not referring to anyone else; he is advocating for himself to be sent in at the 3-4 position. He referenced his performances in the PSL, where he often bats at one down or two down. He is actually discussing his own abilities, which are very good, and I believe he should communicate with the captain. If he's in form, we should utilize it."
 
One of the most improved batter in T20 format.

His batting should put lot of 1st choice top order bats to shame. :inti
 
Not sure if I trust his batting against non-PSL/C-teams but I wouldn't mind experimenting with him up the order
 
If we have to adjust Shadab Khan in the upper order then we will have to change everyone's batting order so its better to make him play where he usually bats at the #7 position.
 
ahmadharis1 said:
Not sure if I trust his batting against non-PSL/C-teams but I wouldn't mind experimenting with him up the order
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true, but given how weak the batting is, they can try him at no 4. Still think it will be tough for him to deliver vs top bowlers.
 
He is not a middle order batter.

PSL is a very low quality tournament full of C grade foreign players and local domestic age fudging dross.

International cricket is a completely different beast.
 
He bats occasionally so his batting order is not a real concern, he should focus more on his bowling which is a real mess.
 
Good strike rate, though Babar Azam is still not ready to give him a proper chance yet. He didn't bowl today, so maybe he will come out to bat in the top order.

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Shadab Khan did not appear active and lacked intent to score big for Pakistan, resulting in run out for a duck.
 
Shadab cannot play in the team on the basis of his batting alone, he is not consistent enough, he is in the team for his bowling first and if he can't sort his bowling out he needs to be axed. Enough of pampering players who don't deserve it.
 
Savak said:
Shadab cannot play in the team on the basis of his batting alone, he is not consistent enough, he is in the team for his bowling first and if he can't sort his bowling out he needs to be axed. Enough of pampering players who don't deserve it.
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Who else needs the boot?
 
Shadab as a batter is not reliable, he only add values as an allrounder and if he cant bowl so better to keep him out and select a proper batter.
 
On current bowling form Shadab doesn’t deserve a place in the team. His batting is not good enough to carry him as a genuine all rounder unless Babar becomes a more proactive captain and uses Saim and Iftikhar. Otherwise, even Shaheen, Naseem and Abbas can hit a couple of lusty blows down the order and the team won’t miss Shadab (exept for his fielding). For me it all goes back to the basic issue of none of our players having any defined role in the team. Shadab should ideally play as someone who bowls on average 2 overs and on good days the full quota and make 15-20 impactful runs down the order at 6 or 7. If he can’t do that consistently we would be better off playing Abrar. But to make that work Babar needs to make use of Iftikhar and Saim which he is too scared of doing when Iftikhar is actually a better bowler than Shadab on current form.
 
Shadab can still bat better than many so-called all-rounders out there but the problem is his bowling is pretty mediocre. He should put more focus on his bowling first then his job as a batter will be considered. He cannot play solely on his batting.
 
BouncerGuy said:
Shadab can still bat better than many so-called all-rounders out there but the problem is his bowling is pretty mediocre. He should put more focus on his bowling first then his job as a batter will be considered. He cannot play solely on his batting.
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With the likes of salman Ali Agha in the ranks who

A) Has actual test experience

B) Has a few good knocks

And the likes of saud shakeel who can bowl a bit, you don't need shadab.

Shadab's key purpose is his bowling as he's not a batting allrounder. His batting sucks lol.

However if shadab is failing with the ball, then just replace him with a genuine batter who can bowl a bit.
 
mominsaigol said:
With the likes of salman Ali Agha in the ranks who

A) Has actual test experience

B) Has a few good knocks

And the likes of saud shakeel who can bowl a bit, you don't need shadab.

Shadab's key purpose is his bowling as he's not a batting allrounder. His batting sucks lol.

However if shadab is failing with the ball, then just replace him with a genuine batter who can bowl a bit.
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Yep. This is possible. Salman will bowl better than what shadab did last night. Maybe give him a chance for shadab.
 
Shadab is the modern day Shoaib Malik. Allah save us now he will continue to get selected for the next 15 years.
 
Former Pakistan Captain Salman Butt while speaking on a program on You tube channel talked about current form of Shadab Khan:

"I will say he is that Pakistan player who has been out of form for quite some time, and his bowling has also suffered as a result."

"Although he excels on the field, his batting success rate is better in the PSL, where he bats up the order. However, in international cricket, strong teams will pose a challenge for him."

"While he is gradually improving as a batter, having transitioned from being a bowler, he is not yet a polished batter or all-rounder."

"Pakistan needs him to play a crucial role at number 4 to make an impact, but he is currently unable to do so. Consequently, his form is a concern, and he is under pressure."
 
FearlessRoar said:
Former Pakistan Captain Salman Butt while speaking on a program on You tube channel talked about current form of Shadab Khan:

"I will say he is that Pakistan player who has been out of form for quite some time, and his bowling has also suffered as a result."

"Although he excels on the field, his batting success rate is better in the PSL, where he bats up the order. However, in international cricket, strong teams will pose a challenge for him."

"While he is gradually improving as a batter, having transitioned from being a bowler, he is not yet a polished batter or all-rounder."

"Pakistan needs him to play a crucial role at number 4 to make an impact, but he is currently unable to do so. Consequently, his form is a concern, and he is under pressure."
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So shadab is being groomed to replace Fakhar at 4? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂.

Arei butt sahib, Bas kar yar.
 
Whoever thinks Shadab is capable of playing in the top 5 needs to be kept as far away from the team as possible. He is NOT an allrounder. Even Abbas or Shaheen will give you a 30-40 once in a while if promoted up the order. He needs to be benched and replaced either by a bowler or if Babar has the guts then with Usman with Ifti and Saim taking up the 5th bowler role. Admittedly a risky option but the way Shadab is bowling i'm sure they can't do worse.
 
The main reason he's failed as a bowler is because he's started to re-imagine himself as a batsman. And was left to do what he thought was best for him uninterrupted.

Conclusion: Can't do neither roles.

Shadab is a classic candidate that will do well with coaching. He's energetic, excellent fielder and has time. If Gary bhai can form a bond with him, we can see the re-emergence of Shadab.
 
Energy said:
The main reason he's failed as a bowler is because he's started to re-imagine himself as a batsman. And was left to do what he thought was best for him uninterrupted.

Conclusion: Can't do neither roles.

Shadab is a classic candidate that will do well with coaching. He's energetic, excellent fielder and has time. If Gary bhai can form a bond with him, we can see the re-emergence of Shadab.
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With all due respect.

Pakistan has qasim akram, Mubashir Khan, Mehran Mumtaz, abrar ahmed, Zafar gohar, Usman Tariq and a plethora more players who are naturally superior to shadab as a bowler even in his 2017 prime.

If shadab is to go back to being a bowler only, then he doesn't warrant a place in the team. How pcb keeps selecting muafiqs like usama or nawaz over actual spinners who can spin the ball is beyond me.

Only imad wasim gets a respite due to his batting and his darter lengths. Usama mir meh.

If shadab isn't offering value with the bat, why on earth would you want him solely as a specialist spinner? As a fielder he's gun sure, but specialist fielder?

Now if you wish to turn him into a batter who can bowl 1 or 2 overs, you already have salman Ali Agha and saud shakeel for that? Those 2 are established batsmen who can bowl 1 to 2 overs, their not great bowlers but shadab isn't making a case with his 50 avg in bowling.

Only option is to turn him into a bowling allrounder aka a guy who's primarily a bowler and attacks at 7, but imad slams that door shut on him in that case.

Someone like him even in his 2017 prime doesn't make it into the squad if abrar was around. Sheddy is here due to dosti yaari and Bobby regime thats it. Any competent board would boot him out
 
Very predictable

Loop one up when he is early at the crease and he will give cow or mid on a simple catch down their throats attempting a slog sweep
 
Rana said:
Very predictable

Loop one up when he is early at the crease and he will give cow or mid on a simple catch down their throats attempting a slog sweep
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He got out like this against England

He got out once like this against NZ and should have been out another time but some guy dropped him,

He doesn’t have the power or technique early on to muscle spinners.
 
mominsaigol said:
With all due respect.

Pakistan has qasim akram, Mubashir Khan, Mehran Mumtaz, abrar ahmed, Zafar gohar, Usman Tariq and a plethora more players who are naturally superior to shadab as a bowler even in his 2017 prime.

If shadab is to go back to being a bowler only, then he doesn't warrant a place in the team. How pcb keeps selecting muafiqs like usama or nawaz over actual spinners who can spin the ball is beyond me.

Only imad wasim gets a respite due to his batting and his darter lengths. Usama mir meh.

If shadab isn't offering value with the bat, why on earth would you want him solely as a specialist spinner? As a fielder he's gun sure, but specialist fielder?

Now if you wish to turn him into a batter who can bowl 1 or 2 overs, you already have salman Ali Agha and saud shakeel for that? Those 2 are established batsmen who can bowl 1 to 2 overs, their not great bowlers but shadab isn't making a case with his 50 avg in bowling.

Only option is to turn him into a bowling allrounder aka a guy who's primarily a bowler and attacks at 7, but imad slams that door shut on him in that case.

Someone like him even in his 2017 prime doesn't make it into the squad if abrar was around. Sheddy is here due to dosti yaari and Bobby regime thats it. Any competent board would boot him out
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Shadab, when he first burst on the scene in 2017 was quite good actually. Contributed mainly with the ball and was consistently taking wickets.

He has drifted in the last 2-3 years, and you're right, the management has not done enough to get him back on track, or discard him. There are now other candidates who can do a better job than Shadab, as you suggest.
 
His bowling is key to his batting and at the moment his bowling is poor and bar the odd performance, it has been such for a while. Under pressure he falls apart. A leg spinner battles himself as much as the batsman- if he spins the ball and lands it on a length, the batsman has to more risk to hit him, and that's when opportunities start to come.
 
he is just a fluke player, better to select a proper batter or bowler who can win u matches not like him who score runs once in an year.
 
I had such high hopes for him at the beginning especially after CT17. If only he had remained a spinner and developed his craft instead of becoming yet another bits and pieces cricketer.

I have no idea why they do this to spinners, Nawaz went the same route. Just stick to bowling.
 
Flat_Track_Bully said:
I had such high hopes for him at the beginning especially after CT17. If only he had remained a spinner and developed his craft instead of becoming yet another bits and pieces cricketer.

I have no idea why they do this to spinners, Nawaz went the same route. Just stick to bowling.
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Even in the champions trophy, he was getting smoked to all parts of the ground, especially by India.

This guy is proving to be another hack who is in the team for his good fielding and that is it. 1 good inning after 30-odd matches is not enough to call him a batter and everybody knows about his bowling form.
 
He will always be a glorified tail-ender with the bat. He can get away with it in PSL because the standard of bowling in that league is a joke, but he has never performed with the bat in international cricket apart from a few fluke performances here and there.

He is at best a number 8. Nothing above that. It is a joke to see someone of his caliber come out to bat when the team is only 3-4 down.

One of the least talented cricketers to play over 150+ international matches and funnily enough, he has, or had, the reputation of being a highly gifted player for a very long time.

He has more than 10k deliveries under his belt and still can't control his line and length, and he has nothing going for him as a batsman. On top of that, he is injury prone.

A brilliant catcher for sure, one of the very few Pakistani fielders in history who can be considered a valuable fielder even by international standards, but fielding skills will always be secondary to your primary skills.
 
Coming at number 5 you need a proper batsmen not an allrounder

All rounders should come in at 7/8

I don't know if chacha is playing as a batsmen or allrounder he never bowls. If he is coming in as a batsmen then there are better options

You can't just have a line up of

Shadab
Chacha
Azam khan

This is where the main issue is...
 
We had a chance to include Salman ali in the side. He could have solved on of many problems in this side.
 
emranabbas said:
Coming at number 5 you need a proper batsmen not an allrounder

All rounders should come in at 7/8

I don't know if chacha is playing as a batsmen or allrounder he never bowls. If he is coming in as a batsmen then there are better options

You can't just have a line up of

Shadab
Chacha
Azam khan

This is where the main issue is...
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This is why I suggest tayyab tahir who's a proper no 5 batter, Aggressive and loves the middle order in both odi and t20.

He isn't fixated on opening.
 
If he can't perform in his main role as a bowler then he should not be part of the xi.
 
shamaan said:
If he can't perform in his main role as a bowler then he should not be part of the xi.
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He was never a good t20 bowler he was just getting selected on his batting n now a days thats also became so ordinary... so noe he does not fit into the team neither on bowling or batting.
 
Salman Butt believes Shadab Khan isn't suited for the number four batting position, despite his occasional good performances, as said on his YouTube channel:

“Shadab Khan isn’t someone who should be batting at No. 4. Yes, there might be an odd good knock, but if you bat at one position regularly, you might do well once in a while. He is not having a good time. His first two overs were good in this game. But his confidence went downhill after after Bairstow hit him for two sixes.”
 
Shadab is now playing as a specialist batsman. - Yes that’s the punchline.

He hasn’t bowled for 2 games so clearly he’s in for his batting

How can we have a person who can barely hold a bat , bat as a specialist batsman at a very imposing position.

Do we have no middle order batsman in the whole of Pakistan?
 
adzzy786 said:
Shadab is now playing as a specialist batsman. - Yes that’s the punchline.

He hasn’t bowled for 2 games so clearly he’s in for his batting

How can we have a person who can barely hold a bat , bat as a specialist batsman at a very imposing position.

Do we have no middle order batsman in the whole of Pakistan?
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What's the point of not playing abrar now? If you no longer have confidence to bowl shadab then why have a tailender who can't bowl?
 
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