Pakistan batsman Saud Shakeel: “Back to work”
Image courtesy of: Pakistan Cricket Board
Uncapped Pakistan batsman Saud Shakeel said it is time to get “back to work” as he is in a race against time to be fit for the Test series against Zimbabwe.
Shakeel was initially part of the ODI squad as well and could have made his debut in the recently-concluded three-match against South Africa.
However, he was withdrawn from the team and replaced by Asif Ali after suffering a Grade-1 quadriceps tear in his left leg.
Back to work✌️🏏 pic.twitter.com/cU7mG2OdnE
— Saud Shakeel (@saudshak) April 7, 2021
With his recovery seemingly going well, the 25-year-old posted a video on Twitter, which shows him batting in the nets.
If he is deemed to be fully fit, Shakeel will travel to Harare with 10 other players on April 12.
It should be noted that Shakeel was the second-highest run-scorer in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with 970 run in 10 matches for Sindh, which included three centuries and five fifties, at an average of 57.05.
Pakistan will play three T20 Internationals and two Tests in Zimbabwe.
The T20 series will be held from April 21 to 25 in Harare, while both Tests will take place at the same venue, with the first match starting on April 29 and the second Test getting underway on May 7.
Pakistan’s Test Squad: Babar Azam (capt), Imran Butt, Abid Ali, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Saud Shakeel, Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Tabish Khan, Hasan Ali, Shahnawaz Dhani, Nauman Ali, Zahid Mahmood, Sajid Khan.