Wahab Riaz: “Shadab Khan is a vital member of Pakistan’s T20 setup and a white-ball specialist”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan chief selector Wahab Riaz has not given up on out of form spinner Shadab Khan, insisting that he is still “a very important member” of the T20I team.
Shadab has failed to take wickets regularly as of late, including during the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, where he finished with two wickets in six matches at an average of 118.50 and an economy rate of 6.23.
Currently, he is recovering from an ankle injury, but is expected to make a full recovery very soon.
“Shadab Khan is a vital member of Pakistan’s T20 setup and a white-ball specialist,” Wahab was quoted as saying by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) website.
After losing their Test series against Australia 3-0, Pakistan suffered a 4-1 loss in their five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
Shadab will now captain Islamabad United in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), which begins on February 17.
Islamabad United Squad for PSL 9: Shadab Khan (captain), Naseem Shah, Imad Wasim, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Rumman Raees, Tymal Mills, Matthew Forde, Salman Ali Agha, Qasim Akram, Shahab Khan, Hunain Shah, Ubaid Shah, Shamyl Hussain, Tom Curran, Jordan Cox