Former Pakistan cricket team captain and seasoned all-rounder, Shoaib Malik has expressed his strong support for Saud Shakeel’s inclusion in Pakistan’s playing XI, claiming that the bright young batsman’s skills and temperament make him a valuable asset to the national side.
In an appearance before the media, Malik emphasized the importance of having Saud Shakeel on the team.
Malik said, “I always thought Saud Shakeel should be mandatory in the Pakistan Cricket Team. A batter with a strong technique like Saud plays an important role after Babar Azam and M Rizwan.”
It should be noted that the 28-year-old impressed everyone yet again after scoring an outstanding 53-ball 75 in Hyderabad last week during the warm-up game against New Zealand.
Additionally, Malik also highlighted the importance of supporting Babar Azam, the team’s captain in the major event.
He said, “Babar Azam has been doing captaincy of Pakistan, and this is the time to support him. The media also has to play an important role in supporting Babar in the World Cup. I’m very much hopeful for the good performance of the Pakistan Cricket Team and the captaincy of Babar in the World Cup.”
Malik stated in reference to the team’s warm-up games, “Pakistan has also scored around 700 runs if they conceded 700 runs in warm-up matches.”
Furthermore, he also talked about Naseem Shah’s absence from the World Cup, adding, “Naseem, Shaheen [Shah] and Haris [Rauf] became a strong trio. Unfortunately, Naseem got injured, but the PCB Selection Committee should have given occasional opportunities to other bowlers as well previously.”
Australia and New Zealand were the opponents for Pakistan’s two warm-up games. While Australia won by 14 runs, New Zealand thrashed Pakistan by five wickets.
Pakistan will begin their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on October 6 in Hyderabad as the mega event begins today with a repeat of 2019’s final between England and New Zealand.
