Former Pakistan skipper Mohammad Hafeez heaped praise on World Cup debutant Saud Shakeel for his impactful knock against the Netherlands in their opening game of the marquee event in Hyderabad. In his World Cup debut on Friday, the left-handed batter displayed superb patience to bat their team out of trouble alongside Mohammad Rizwan.
Saud Shakeel made his international debut for Pakistan in the ODI against England at Sophia Gardens in 2021 and had played only six One-day internationals before the game against the Netherlands with an underwhelming performance in the 50-over format of the game but showcased his ability in the opening game scoring counter-attacking half-century.
Speaking to the media, Mohammad Hafeez hails Saud Shakeel for showing a lot of composure after losing three wickets in the powerplay and lauded him for his excellent batting technique and the way he batted under tremendous pressure in the game.
“Saud Shakeel rescued the innings when Pakistan were in trouble after losing three early wickets. He has a solid technique and played a gritty innings. He deserves massive credit for the way he handled the pressure,” Mohammad Hafeez said.
Pakistan have been looking for a solid batter for a while now in the middle order apart from Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan in the ODI cricket and it seems that they have hit the jackpot with Shakeel, who has already shown the ability to make the difference in the game.
I Know The Passion He Has For The Game – Mohammed Hafeez
Mohammad Hafeez also highlighted that Saud Shakeel wasn’t even in the plans in ODI cricket two months ago but has taken the opportunity provided to him in the game and said that the left-handed batter has the passion to win games for his country at the highest level.
“He wasn’t even in the team management’s plan for ODI two months ago. I have spent time with him in the dressing room and I know the passion he has for the game and how he wants to prove people wrong,” Mohammad Hafeez added.
Saud Shakeel was not even a contender for the World Cup 2023 less than two months ago. It appeared that Pakistan would either stick with Salman Aga or try Tayyub Tahir based on the pitch conditions but things changed quickly after the Men in Green’s poor defeat in the Asia Cup 2023 and the southpaw could look to continue his fine form going into the next games of the ODI World Cup.