SHADAB KHAN AIMS TO RETURN TO PAKISTAN’S TEST TEAM

SHADAB AIMS TO RETURN TO PAKISTAN’S TEST TEAM:

Shadab Khan, the vice-captain of Pakistan’s white-ball team in his recent interview stated that he is aiming to come back into the TEST squad of the Pakistan team.

The right-arm leg-spinner from Pakistan is the main player to feature in the playing XI of Pakistan’s ODI as well as in the T20I team but doesn’t play TEST cricket for Pakistan.

The 24-year-old was picked in the Test squad for the Pakistan team in 2020 against the England Cricket Team. He played one match on that tour and that was the last time Shadab Khan played Test cricket for the Pakistan team.

In a recent interview with Cricket Pakistan, the Pakistani leg-spinner, Shadab Khan expressed his determination that he is willing to play Test cricket for Pakistan again. He also reveals his plan that after the World Cup, he is ready to play four-day cricket so that he can perform there and can make a comeback to Pakistan’s test team.

‘’ I really enjoy TEST cricket and my heart definitely desires to play Test cricket for Pakistan, even though I haven’t played four-day cricket for a long time. I plan to take time out and play four-day cricket after the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 because there is no such opportunity for me to play four-day cricket right now ‘’, he added.

The Pakistani leg-spinner also emphasized the importance of four-day cricket as he says that if he wants to perform well for Pakistan in Test cricket, for that he has to play four-day cricket, otherwise it’s not possible.

‘’ After the World Cup 2023, I will try to play four-day cricket, and will try to perform there and then I will aim to play TEST cricket for Pakistan again. Until I play four-day cricket, I can’t play Test matches ‘’, he further added.

In a recent podcast, the former Pakistani captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed also named Shadab Khan to be the all-format captain of the Pakistan team, even though Shadab Khan doesn’t play Test cricket for Pakistan but Sarfaraz Ahmed thinks that he can adapt well, and will be the first choice to fit in the playing XI of the Pakistan team.

The 24-year-old leg-spinner made his Test debut in 2018 for the Pakistan team and has played a total of six test matches for the National team – In those six test matches, Shadab Khan has picked up 14 wickets at an average of 36.6 and has scored an aggregate of 300 runs. He averages 34 in Test cricket and has scored 2 fifties in this format for Pakistan.

Shadab Khan is one of the biggest superstars in World Cricket for all the T20 franchises across the globe, which make it more difficult for him to take some time out and play domestic matches so that he can make himself available for Pakistan’s test team selection.

Another important point of concern here is the injuries history of Shadab Khan, which I think will not allow him to play Test cricket because it takes your full determination and fitness to play Test cricket and with Shadab playing Test cricket, there will be a huge risk involved and I don’t think Pakistan’s management will be ready to take this risk involving him in red-ball cricket.