Mickey Arthur: “We have many talented batsmen, including Imam. Saud Shakeel and Fakhar Zaman are also quality batsmen”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Recently removed Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur has praised the batting trio of Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq and Saud Shakeel, saying all three have a lot of talent.
Arthur’s comments about them show he still has faith in all three players, even though Imam and Zaman have been hit and miss lately.
In the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, Zaman was dropped after the opening game against the Netherlands and subsequently missed the next five matches.
He then returned in grand style as he blasted 81 and 126 not out against Bangladesh and New Zealand respectively.
As for Imam, he wasn’t at his best in the tournament, amassing 162 runs in six games, which included a top score of 70, at an average of 27.
Shakeel, meanwhile, was rock solid in the middle order and accumulated 241 runs in nine matches, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 34.42.
“We have many talented batsmen, including Imam. Saud Shakeel and Fakhar Zaman are also quality batsmen,” Arthur, who was replaced by former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez as team director, was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Pakistan beat the Netherlands and Sri Lanka to start their World Cup campaign in style, but things didn’t go according to plan after that as they succumbed to defeats at the hands of India, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa.
Teetering on the brink of elimination, the men in green fought back to take down Bangladesh and New Zealand.
However, they were unable to advance to the final four and lost their last group stage game against England by 93 runs.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup:Â 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
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