Pakistan spinner Shadab Khan: “I can bat at number four on merit. I have worked hard to enhance my bowling but have natural talent of batting”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan T20I vice-captain Shadab Khan said he has a natural talent for batting and can see himself coming in as high as number four.
Shadab has showcased his batting skills on numerous occasions and averages 33.33 in Tests, 25.90 in ODIs and 17.54 in T20Is.
Recently, the 26-year-old was in action in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand and made 58 runs at an average of 14.50 and a strike-rate of 131.81.
Bowling-wise, he finished with one wicket at an average of 143.
Concerns have been raised about Shadab’s lack of wickets at the international level, but the Mianwali native insisted that he has been working hard to “enhance my bowling”.
“I can bat at number four on merit. I have worked hard to enhance my bowling but have natural talent of batting,” he was quoted as saying by journalist Arfa Feroz Zake on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Shadab is now captaining Islamabad United in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and has accumulated 147 runs in nine games at an average of 24.50 and a strike-rate of 151.54.
He has also picked up 14 wickets at an average of 14.78 and an economy rate of 7.57.
PSL 10 will conclude on May 25.
Once the tournament is over, Pakistan will face Bangladesh in a three-match T20I series in Lahore from May 28 to June 1.
Islamabad United Squad for PSL 10:
- Platinum: Matthew Short, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan (captain)
- Diamond: Imad Wasim, Azam Khan, Jason Holder
- Gold: Ben Dwarshuis, Salman Irshad, Salman Ali Agha, Haider Ali
- Silver: Andries Gous, Colin Munro, Mohammad Nawaz, Rumman Raees
- Emerging: Hunain Shah, Saad Masood
- Supplementary: Riley Meredith, Rassie van der Dussen
Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper) and Saim Ayub