Pakistan not ideally placed going into the World Cup: Shadab Khan
Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan understands they face a tough road going into the T20 World Cup. Though Pakistan have seven T20s lined up against New Zealand and England before the World Cup, their coaching staff has undergone significant changes.
Head coach Misbah-Ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis resigned with immediate effect shortly after the selectors announced their World T20 squad. Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq have taken charge as interim coaches for the New Zealand series.
Shadab Khan, who revealed that Ramiz Raja wanted Pakistan to play aggressively, sees them undergoing a complete transformation. Hence, the leg-spinner thinks success can take some time to stem from the new methods. As a result, Khan requested the fans and media to be patient. Khan told Geo TV:
"So it is a complete transformation from what we have been pursuing in the recent past. We would now pursue a new brand of cricket. We are not ideally placed going into the World Cup as we have to change gears from here on. We may not be consistent but that happens when you are in transformation. What we need is support from all around, especially from the media. I would request for patience as unnecessary criticism would take us nowhere."
Shadab, who has earned a spot in Pakistan's World T20 squad, will be keen to prove his credentials. He is a hard-hitting batsman but hasn't yet produced consistently at the top level.
I am an all-rounder, so I want to play my role with bat and ball: Shadab Khan
As for his performance, Khan said he returned to the drawing board and worked on his game to fulfill the expectations. The 22-year old looks forward to a competitive series against New Zealand despite several key players missing for Pakistan.
"Recently, with the help of the coaches at the academy I have tried to overcome my flaws and now I am feeling better to play the brand of cricket, which my fans expect from me. I am an all-rounder so I want to play my role with bat and ball."
"After regaining my fitness I am ready for that. Yet there are eight to nine regular ODI-playing members in the New Zealand team. Hopefully, the best brand of cricket would be on display at the Pindi Stadium."
Pakistan and New Zealand will square off in three ODIs and five T20Is from the 17th of September. Rawalpindi will host the ODIs, while Lahore will stage the T20s.