Yasir Hameed: “He will definitely perform as a captain”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan cricketer Yasir Hameed believes middle order batsman Saud Shakeel “will definitely perform as a captain” if given the opportunity to lead.
A dependable figure in Pakistan’s Test squad, Shakeel has repeatedly delivered crucial performances in pressure situations.
In Pakistan’s last Test assignment, which was a two-match series against South Africa, the 30-year-old amassed 115 runs, which included a top score of 66, at an average of 28.75.
Returning to domestic cricket afterwards, he led the Karachi Region Blues in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QeA Trophy), amassing 329 runs in six matches, which featured a century and a half-century, at an average of 32.90.
He also captained the State Bank of Pakistan in the President’s Cup Grade-I (1-Day) tournament, scoring 121 runs in four games, which included a top score of 55, at an average of 30.25.
Pointing to Shakeel’s ability to contribute with the bat and lead effectively at various levels, Hameed said the Karachi-born cricketer is emerging as a strong candidate to take on a future leadership role in Pakistan cricket.
“Saud Shakeel is one such player about whom I can say that he has played as a captain since the beginning. He played as captain at Sindh. He was also the captain in Under-19. [He] is a product which is captaincy material and if it is utilised anywhere… he will definitely perform as a captain,” he told PakPassion.
The Pakistan team are now involved in the 2026 T20 World Cup, where they began their campaign with a three-wicket win over the Netherlands.
Their next match will be against the United States of America on February 10 in Colombo.
Pakistan Squad for 2026 T20 World Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq