3 reasons why Saud Shakeel could finish as a great batter for Pakistan
Riding on a brilliant century (141) from Saud Shakeel, Pakistan recovered from an early slump against Bangladesh in the opening Test of the two-match series in Rawalpindi, eventually posting a mammoth 448 in the first innings of the Test match.
The innings was declared by captain Shan Masood during the final overs of Day 2 to have a shot at the Bangladesh batters. The Tigers' opening batters prevailed and finished the day with the scoreboard reading 27/0.
When Saud Shakeel came out in the middle on the opening day of the Test, Pakistan were reeling at 16/3 and desperately needed a partnership to steady things. The two left-handers Shakeel and Saim Ayub forged a brilliant partnership together to rest home the advantage. Shakeel in particular came out with a positive mindset and struck some gorgeous shots to get going.
He held his nerves all through the day and capitalised on the relatively easy conditions on Day 2. In the company of Mohammad Rizwan, Shakeel went on from strength to strength as the duo stitched together a massive stand of 240 runs which put Pakistan in a commanding situation. Shakeel went on to score his third Test century in just his 11th Test.
Meanwhile, Rizwan (171*) also scored a century as Pakistan racked up a massive score on the board. Shakeel has displayed his capabilities in his relatively brief career so far and he has all the attributes to become one of the greats of Pakistan cricket. Having said that, let us have a look at three reasons why Shakeel could finish as one of the greatest batters of Pakistan cricket:
#1 Saud Shakeel has a very strong technique
What makes Shakeel a special batter for Pakistan, especially in the longest format is his solid technique. There is a solidity and compactness in Shakeel’s batting whichever format he is batting in. In his relatively brief Test career, Shakeel has scored runs against some top-quality bowling attacks and that's been mainly due to his technique.
The tracks in Pakistan have produced belters before but it's never easy to face world-class bowlers if you don't have a solid technique. He is strong in defence and hardly plays away from the body. Shakeel doesn't tend to chase deliveries and can keep leaving balls if the situation demands.
All three of his Test centuries have come in Pakistan but he showed his potential briefly during Pakistan’s tour of Australia earlier in the year. If everything goes well, Shakeel could certainly become one of the greats of Pakistan cricket.
#2 Saud Shakeel puts pressure back on the bowlers
What we witnessed in the opening Test against Bangladesh was a Test century of the highest calibre. He came out to the middle when Pakistan were reeling at 16/3 but when he strode out in the middle, it was the Bangladesh bowlers who were put on the backfoot.
He didn't leave any opportunities to find the boundaries, leaving the Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto no other option but to employ defensive fields. Once he put the pressure back on the Bangladesh bowlers, he went from strength to strength. However, putting pressure on the bowler and counter-attacking at the game's crucial junctures is what makes someone a great batter.
#3 Saud Shakeel is brilliant against spin
Saud Shakeel is a brilliant batter against spin and it was evident from how he took on the spinners during the opening Test against Bangladesh. In subcontinent conditions where the ball tends to turn for the majority of the match, you have to be a good player against spin.
Saud Shakeel has no weakness against the spinners and uses his feet to perfection to neutralize the spin. He uses the depth of the crease to perfection against the spinner which gives him longer range to play his strokes all around the ground. He might have some chink in his armour against pace but he feels at home against spinners.