Shadab Khan: “He is [an] impactful player, not that consistent, but highly impactful. When he performs the team wins”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan spinner Shadab Khan said while opening batsman Fakhar Zaman may not be “that consistent”, he more than makes up for it with his impact.
Zaman is potentially facing the axe after the ongoing 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup due to his struggles with the bat.
He only made 12 runs in the opening game against the Netherlands before being dropped for the next five games as Abdullah Shafique took his spot.
However, the 33-year-old returned for the match against Bangladesh as he replaced opener Imam-ul-Haq, who also hasn’t been at his best.
Knowing that his place in the side is no longer guaranteed, Zaman went on a brutal onslaught as he smashed 81 runs off 74 balls, which included three boundaries and seven sixes.
It was a step in the right direction for the Mardan native, which was a great sight for Shadab, who pointed out that when Zaman goes big, Pakistan usually tend to win.
“He is [an] impactful player, not that consistent, but highly impactful. When he performs the team wins,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Pakistan started the World Cup on a high as they won their first two games against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka before losing four in a row to India, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa.
Finding themselves on the brink of elimination, the men in green fought back to defeat Bangladesh by seven wickets, which kept their hopes of reaching the World Cup semi-finals alive.
They will now return to action on November 4 and take on New Zealand in Bengaluru.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali