Director of Pakistan team Mickey Arthur came to Vice Captain Shadab Khan’s defence amid criticism on his form ahead of Pakistan’s first ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 game against the Netherlands.
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Mickey Arthur backed Shadab Khan to perform well in the tournament during the press conference ahead of Pakistan’s fixture against the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
The team director went on to say that Shadab Khan’s poor performances do not worry him as he is the “best all-round player”.
“Shadab is the best all-around player,” Mickey Arthur said. “I hope he will be in form from tomorrow. I have no worries about Shadab; he will return to his form soon.
“I wholeheartedly back Shadab’s ability. He’s a wonderful cricketer. You look at his package of bowling, batting, fielding, he’s exceptional. If we look at his bowling in isolation, he’s just short of a little confidence.”
Mickey Arthur went on to say that Shadab Khan has not lost his ability to turn the ball and he bowls very good googlies.
He added, “He’s one performance away from getting that confidence back and making sure that he has a really big influence on this World Cup.”
It is pertinent to mention that Shadab Khan has proven himself as a valuable all-rounder over the years. However, he has been giving lacklustre performances much to the displeasure of experts and fans.
Related – Harbhajan Singh comments on Shadab Khan’s performance
Mohammad Hafeez, one of Pakistan’s greatest cricketers, gave advice to Shadab Khan for improving his game during the ARY News show “Bouncer.”
“I would advise Shadab Khan to focus on himself and his game. He should do a critical analysis of himself. He needs to perform well because when he bowls well…he also bats well. We would miss him as a fielder if he is rested for the games,” he said.
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