Shadab Khan’s selection for the ODI series was probably the most questionable decision made by Pakistan’s management ahead of the Australia ODI series. The all-rounder had been battling injuries which kept him out of international cricket for a while, more so in ODI cricket.
Shadab’s inclusion criticized
Before this series, the last time he played a 50-over game was during the 2023 ODI World Cup. But Pakistan’s head coach Mike Hesson counted on Shadab despite the heaps of criticism sent the all-rounder’s way.
His form, however, had done little to avert the criticism. With the ball, Shadab has touched his lowest. It has been five games since he took an ODI wicket, and the last time he dismissed more than one batter in a match was all the way back in August 2023 against Nepal in a home Asia Cup game.
While his form with the ball has dwindled, Shadab has metamorphosed into a more reliable batting option. In the second ODI against Australia, where none scored more than 40 runs, Shadab struck a hard-fought 71 off 104 balls. This was the highest score across both innings.
Speaking to media after the second game, Hesson said Shadab’s second coming as a batting all-rounder has helped him keep the spot in the side. But that has seen him fall in the Pakistan bowling pecking order.
“Shadab, I guess, has made a transition throughout his career, starting as more of a bowler who batted, to a batting all-rounder. Because of that, he bats at six or seven depending on the situation,” said Hesson.
“He is our fifth bowler, along with Salman Ali Agha or Maaz Sadaqat in this line-up,” Hesson added.
Weather would dictate the pitch
So far, in both ODIs, the surfaces have been beneficial to slower bowlers. There were several debates discussing if Pakistan are using the home advantage to dominate in bilaterals only, leaving the ODI World Cup, which will be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, out of their minds.
Earlier, in an X (formerly Twitter) post, Hesson said the spin-friendly tracks would help Pakistan better acclimatise to conditions in Zimbabwe and Namibia, as well as some South African venues.
When asked if the pitch for the third ODI would get a similar treatment, Hesson said the weather and conditions in the country currently do not allow for the pitch to behave otherwise.
“There is not a huge amount of grass out there to play with, so it is going to be a spin surface and not quick wickets,” he said.
“It is incredibly hot, so that is the type of surface we are going to get at this time of year. Last year we played South Africa on similar ones, and Sri Lanka on pitches that had pace and bounce.”
“We are fortunate enough to produce lots of different pitches. Today, Australia got too many runs with the bat, and we started poorly with the ball. So certainly, it is not the pitch’s fault.”
ALSO READ:
Trial by spin boomerangs back to Pakistan as Australia win the second ODI- IPL