Aaqib Javed: “Who would’ve thought that Abdullah Shafique could be such a potential pick for the shorter format, but he proved it”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Lahore Qalandars head coach Aaqib Javed said who would have expected opening batsman Abdullah Shafique to get picked and do well in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The Qalandars selected Shafique for PSL 8 in 2023, even though he had primarily represented Pakistan in Test cricket at that time.
The 24-year-old from Sialkot has enjoyed a lot of success in the longest format and more recently, in ODIs as well.
In PSL 8, he amassed 268 runs in 10 games for the Qalandars, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 26.80 and a strike-rate of 144.08. Thanks to his efforts with the bat, the Qalandars won the PSL for the second year in a row.
“Who would’ve thought that Abdullah Shafique could be such a potential pick for the shorter format, but he proved it,” Aaqib told Cricket Pakistan.
Shafique recently played for Pakistan in their three-match Test series against Australia and made 110 runs, which included a top score of 62, at an average of 18.33.
The men in green were then involved in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which they lost 4-1.
Shafique will now represent the Qalandars in the 2024 PSL, which begins on February 17.
Lahore Qalandars Squad for PSL 9: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Haris Rauf, David Wiese, Sikandar Raza, Abdullah Shafique, Zaman Khan, Mirza Tahir Baig, Rashid Khan (reserved), Fakhar Zaman, Rassie van der Dussen, Sahibzada Farhan, Muhammad Imran Jnr., Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti, Dan Lawrence (partially available), Jahandad Khan, Syed Faridoun Mahmood, Shai Hope, Kamran Ghulam, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Tayyab Abbas