Saud Shakeel: From Test star to World Cup ODI hero
Rizwan believes Shakeel has the makings of a future superstar
A fascinating study is the career graph of Saud Shakeel. He made his ODI debut six months before making his Test debut, struggled to make an impact in white-ball cricket before going on to have a stellar Test career. Then, just when it appeared he was destined for the red-ball game, he snuck into Pakistan's World Cup ODI squad.
Shakeel continued after that, scoring 68 runs off 52 balls in Hyderabad on Friday against the Netherlands to rescue Pakistan from difficulty.
Shakeel's 120-run partnership with Mohammad Rizwan in Hyderabad turned the game around, and Rizwan believes Shakeel has the makings of a future superstar.
"If Saud keeps up his diligent work, Pakistan will gain another celebrity... Because of the way his gifting differs slightly. When I bat with Saud, I make it clear to him that I have no plans because of the way he plays, which results in runs for him nevertheless.
He'll be fine and score a lot of goals if he plays the way he usually does. Shakeel, who was named Man of the Match on Friday, "has talents that make him a different kind of superstar," Rizwan remarked.
Shakeel played in six ODIs and had only accumulated 76 runs before to the Netherlands game. However, his Test record is astounding. The 28-year-old, who was born in Karachi, has played 13 innings and has amassed 875 runs at a fantastic average of 87.50. He also has a double century.
Shakeel has gone against the grain by using the red-ball game to enhance his white-ball abilities at a time when cricketers avoid previous Test matches to extend their T20 careers.
"I felt extremely confident going into the Test matches because I thought I played really well. But I was also paying close attention to my white-ball cricket at the same time. I was giving my game a lot of thought. A person strives arduously to achieve a vision... I demonstrated that I am prepared for white-ball cricket when I played against Sri Lanka in a Test match, Shakeel remarked on Friday.
A fresh star frequently appears on the horizon to pull off surprising moves in order for a team to win a World Cup. Can Shakeel accomplish what Inzamam-ul Haq did in 1992 for Pakistan?
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
