Mitchell McClenaghan: “Give the bloke a break. Witnessed him work very hard off the park everyday during PSL. Had minimal rest because he actively wanted to get fitter”

Image courtesy of: Pakistan Super League

New Zealand left-arm seamer Mitchell McClenaghan has urged people to stop criticising Pakistan opener Sharjeel Khan about his fitness.

Many former Pakistan players, including Shoaib Akhtar and Ramiz Raja, voiced their concerns about Sharjeel’s weight.

Legendary seamer and Pakistan’s bowling coach Waqar Younis also noted that the 30-year-old needs to get fitter if he is to have any chance of being picked in the national team.

However, McClenaghan, who was part of the Karachi Kings squad during the Pakistan Super League (PSL), revealed that Sharjeel worked “very hard off the park everyday” during the tournament.

He also questioned whether Sharjeel would have done better during the PSL if he had rested more and not been constantly focused on losing weight and making his international comeback.

In the 10 games he played, Sharjeel scored 199 runs at an average of 24.87 and a strike-rate of 144.20.

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Give the bloke a break. Witnessed him work very hard off the park everyday during PSL. Had minimal rest because he actively wanted to get fitter – often I wondered if he wasn’t trying so hard to lose weight to play for Pakistan would have he performed more consistently with rest? https://t.co/4w9XtIqM19

— Mitchell McClenaghan (@Mitch_Savage) March 21, 2020

“Give the bloke a break. Witnessed him work very hard off the park everyday during PSL. Had minimal rest because he actively wanted to get fitter – often I wondered if he wasn’t trying so hard to lose weight to play for Pakistan would have he performed more consistently with rest?” McClenaghan said on Twitter.

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