Saud Shakeel reflects on setback against Australia

Pakistan batsman Saud Shakeel has opened up about his recent setback during the tour of Australia, emphasizing his determination to learn from the experience and improve in the future.

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, reflecting on his performance Down Under, Shakeel acknowledged the challenges of adapting to the conditions, particularly the unfamiliarity of playing on drop-in pitches. Despite falling short of expectations, Shakeel remained resolute in his commitment to enhance his game.

"As a professional cricketer, you always strive to adapt to the conditions wherever you go and make an effort to perform. I couldn't quickly adapt to the experience of playing on a drop-in pitch, and as a result, the performance did not come as expected. However, according to it, I will try to make an effort in the future. When I go back to Australia on the next tour, I will try to make use of the experiences I have gained," Shakeel said.

When questioned about his approach to overcoming setbacks, Shakeel highlighted the importance of post-tour reviews and discussions with his coaching staff. 

"We discuss and review a little bit after each tour. After the completion of every tour, we review how I could have performed better and what mistakes I made. According to that, I make preparations for the future. It's not like I wasn't doing all this before going to Australia; even before going there, I was fully preparing. Then, when something happens, we summarize how we can look at what has happened and learn from it," he further added.

Amidst the challenges, Shakeel reminisced about his standout moment in international cricket – his monumental double century against Sri Lanka. Describing it as the "best innings" of his career, Shakeel attributed his success to his preparation and a resilient mindset.

"Until now, that has been the best innings of my career, a memorable innings. The way we were in a challenging situation both on that stage and in Sri Lanka, to go from there and score a double century, then winning the Man of the Match for Pakistan and securing a Test match victory – that has been my best moment so far," Shakeel said.

"I believe it was a result of the preparation I put in and the way I approached it. The learning from that experience was immense. If I continue to prepare in this manner, and if you get results, it not only gives you confidence but also teaches you how to handle whatever is coming in the future," he concluded.