Pakistan’s stand-in captain, Shadab Khan, recently spoke about the importance of senior players in the national cricket team after their young side lost the second T20I against Afghanistan in Sharjah. The skipper highlighted that the media and fans will realize the true value of experienced players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who were rested for this series.
Shadab acknowledged the criticism that Babar and Rizwan often face regardless of their performance. He added that there is always a sword hanging over them in terms of their strike rate. Despite this, Shadab emphasized that the nation wanted to see young players come into the international cricket scene, particularly those who had performed well in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The captain believes that this series against Afghanistan will serve as a learning experience for the young players in the team. He acknowledged that it was tough to lose the second T20I, but the team will take this as an opportunity to improve their game and come back stronger in the future.
Shadab also praised Afghanistan’s performance in the series, stating that they played better cricket and deserved to win. He said that Pakistan will need to work harder and improve their skills to compete against teams like Afghanistan in the future.
Shadab believes that the young players will gain valuable experience and that the senior players, like Babar and Rizwan, will be even more respected by the media and fans after this series. The skipper emphasized that the team will continue to work hard and strive to improve their game in the future.
Afghanistan has secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series, marking their first-ever victory over Pakistan in any format. The third and final match of the series will take place on Monday at the same location.
