Matthew Hayden names Pakistan’s main spinner for 2023 World Cup

Matthew Hayden, during a discussion on Star Sports, was asked to select Pakistan's key spinner for the 2023 World Cup in India. Having been part of Pakistan's coaching setup in the last two T20 World Cups, Hayden confidently picked Shadab Khan as his choice.

Hayden gave the example of India’s Ravindra Jadeja while describing Shadab as a three-dimensional cricketer. He emphasized that Shadab possesses exceptional skills in batting, bowling, and fielding, making him a valuable asset to the Pakistani team.

"Shadab Khan is a fantastic player. He is an individual of absolute quality. Like Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja), he is a three-dimensional cricketer," Hayden said.

"He is a dangerous hitter with the bat. He has got the variations with the ball and he is also a wonderful fielder, and just one further point around this — you win World Cups by fielding efforts," he added.

Hayden also emphasized the importance of fielding in winning World Cups, stating that it's the small, often unnoticed aspects of fielding that make a significant difference in mega events.

"They are the little things that you don't see, that make a big difference in tournament cricket. Under pressure, those catches around the boundaries, those specially unique run-outs that happen, they are the things that will never really be statistically noted in the World Cup," he further added.