Full-strength Kiwi team touring Pakistan would have been great for fans: Shadab

Pakistan’s all-rounder Shadab Khan, while talking at a virtual press conference on Thursday, stated that the full-strength New Zealand team touring Pakistan would have been great for the fans in the country.

The 22-year-old expressed hope that the upcoming series against New Zealand will still be competitive.

“New Zealand coming here with their full-strength team would have been great for the fans as that would have led to more competitive cricket. As a player, you can’t take any national team lightly. Hopefully we will get competitive cricket and we will try to prepare well for the series,” Shadab said.

The all-rounder believed that injuries were the main reason for his drop in performance but was adamant that he was working hard to replicate his initial success on the cricket field.

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“I had a lot of success at the start. After that I have not had a lot of success. I think the main reason for it was injuries. I had hepatitis and then I had injuries. It does have an impact but that is not an excuse. I keep trying to be better. I have spent a month in the academy recently working with the coaches to improve my bowling and batting. I am now fit and I try to bat and ball as long as possible because as an all-rounder, I want to win my team matches wherever I can,” he said.

Shadab also backed the thought process of captain Babar Azam and Ramiz Raja, who is set to become the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s next chairman.

“In cricket there are no guarantees. Ramiz bhai understands cricket and has given us confidence. Since Babar’s arrival almost the same crop of players has been playing. Everyone plays selflessly and will continue to do so. We will try to play more aggressively. We will face failures and we will accept them. We are trying to develop a culture. Our captain is backing us,” he concluded.

New Zealand are scheduled to compete against Pakistan in a five-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series in Lahore and a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series in Rawalpindi.

The New Zealand squad is expected to travel to Pakistan on September 11.