Shane Watson: “Saud is a highly skilled young man… and his ability to play spin and fast bowling make him a perfect fit for the opening slot”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson believes Pakistan middle order batsman Saud Shakeel is a “perfect fit for the opening slot” as he is “highly skilled” and excels against spin and fast bowling.
Watson’s comments come after he worked with Shakeel while coaching the Quetta Gladiators in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The 28-year-old, who opened the batting throughout PSL 9, had a really strong campaign as he amassed 323 runs in 10 matches, which included two fifties, at an average of 35.88 and a strike-rate of 141.66.
“Saud is a highly skilled young man… and his ability to play spin and fast bowling make him a perfect fit for the opening slot,” Watson told Geo News.
Shakeel has become a regular member of Pakistan’s Test and ODI squads due to the stability he brings in the middle order, but after his brilliant performance in PSL 9, it is likely he will make his T20I debut in the near future.
It should be noted that the men in green will play a couple of T20I series ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup in June.
Quetta Gladiators Squad for PSL 9: Rilee Rossouw (captain), Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sherfane Rutherford, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Wasim, Jason Roy, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mohammad Hasnain, Abrar Ahmed, Will Smeed, Saud Shakeel, Sajjad Ali, Usman Qadir, Omair Bin Yousuf, Adil Naz, Khawaja Nafay, Akeal Hosein, Sohail Khan, Laurie Evans, Bismillah Khan
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