With the next World Cup 16 months away, the Pakistan think-tank has decided to test the player pool. They handed six debuts in Bangladesh and Arafat Minhas became the latest Pakistan cricketer to make his maiden appearance in the format in the first ODI in Rawalpindi, which he celebrated with a record five-wicket haul.
There has not been a change in fortunes for Shadab as he has been the most expensive bowler in the first and second ODIs against Australia, leaking 110 runs at an economy of 6.47 despite the conditions tilted heavily in favour of the spinners. He also went wicketless in both the games.
He had also failed to pick up a wicket in his last three matches before this series and the last time he had multiple scalps in an innings was in the 2023 Asia Cup opener in Multan when he returned 4 for 27 against Nepal.
There is a notion in Pakistan cricket circles that Shadab never fully tapped his batting potential. He showed some glimpses of it in Chennai during the World Cup, scoring 43 off 36 against South Africa and 40 off 38 against Afghanistan.
While his first half-century since June 2022 against West Indies in Multan may have amazed Pakistan cricket fans, it was something that the Pakistan dressing room expected of him since they now consider Shadab to be a batting all-rounder.
“Shadab, I guess, has made a transition throughout his career, starting more of a bowler who batted to a batting all-rounder because of which he bats on six or seven depending on the situation,” Mike Hesson, the Pakistan head coach, said. His dwindling returns, however, have relegated him in the bowling pecking order. “He is our fifth bowler along with [Salman Ali] Agha or Maaz [Sadaqat] in this line-up,” Hesson added.
After the match, Hesson was seen engaging in a discussion with the Gaddafi Stadium head curator on the square. He said on X on the eve of the second ODI that Pakistan prepared spin-friendly pitches for this series as they expected ‘variety’ across different venues in the 2027 World Cup, which is co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
To a question whether the brief for the head curator ahead of the last ODI, which is now a series-decider, remained the same, he said: “There is not a huge amount of grass out there to play with, so it is going to be spin and not quick wickets,” Hesson said.
“It is incredibly hot, so that is the type of surface we are going to get at this time of the year. Last year we played South Africa on the similar ones and Sri Lanka on the ones that had pace and bounce. We are fortunate enough to produce lots of different pitches and today Australia got too many with the bat and we started poorly with the ball. So certainly, it is not the pitch’s fault.”
