Mushtaq Ahmed: “Leg-spin is a difficult art and you can’t be effective if your confidence is down”
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Mushtaq Ahmed said Pakistan spinner Shadab Khan cannot be effective with the ball if his confidence is down.
This comes after Shadab has struggled to take wickets over the past few months due to a host of injuries.
In the recent edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Shadab, who captained Islamabad United, took nine wickets in 11 matches at an average of 36.11 and an economy rate of 8.33.
In the first ODI against England, he scored 30 runs and went wicketless as Pakistan fell to a nine-wicket loss.
Mushtaq noted that “leg-spin is a difficult art” and having good confidence is imperative if a player is to thrive and take wickets regularly.
“Leg-spin is a difficult art and you can’t be effective if your confidence is down,” he told Cricket Pakistan.
Pakistan will play three ODIs and three T20 Internationals against England. The ODI series began on July 8 and will conclude on July 13, while the T20 series will be held from July 16 to 20.
They will then tour the West Indies and play five T20 Internationals and two Tests, with the T20 series getting underway on July 27 and ending on August 3.
As for the Test series, it will start on August 12 and conclude on August 24.
Pakistan Test Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper) (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dhani, Yasir Shah (subject to fitness) and Zahid Mahmood
Pakistan ODI Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Sohaib Maqsood, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Agha Salman, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Qadir
Pakistan T20 Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Arshad Iqbal, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Sohaib Maqsood, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sharjeel Khan and Usman Qadir