Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur backs Pakistan vice-captain Shadab Khan to bounce back from poor form and perform for the team in the ODI World Cup. The 25-year-old had a disappointing run during the Asia Cup, where he failed to make an impactful performance for the Men in Green in a condition that favoured the spinners.
Shadab Khan managed to take only six wickets in Asia Cup 2032, with four of them coming against the lower-ranked Nepal. The leg spinner bowled without any control and far too many freebies were on offer throughout the continental event, making it tough for Pakistan in the middle overs of the game.
Speaking to the media ahead of the opening game against the Netherlands, Mickey Arthur said that team management is not concerned about the form of Shadab Khan and backs the all-rounder to find his form in marquee events.
Besides. he feels that Shadab Khan lacked confidence and thought that it would only take one strong performance for him to have an impact on the team at the World Cup.
“I whole-heartedly back Shadab’s ability and he is a wonderful cricketer. He is exceptional and he is a bit short of confidence. He is one performance away from getting the confidence back and will have a really big influence in this World Cup. I am not worried about Shadab,” Mickey Arthur said.
Shadab Khan has done an outstanding job for Pakistan in both white-ball formats and has shown remarkable maturity in recent times, winning plenty of games for his country. The all-rounder would look to make a valuable contribution to the team in the ODI World Cup.
I Have No Worries About The Skills Of The Players – Mickey Arthur
Speaking on Pakistan bowlers heading into the World Cup, Mickey Arthur feels that the quality of the players in the team was never a question.
Arthur backs them to perform well against the Netherlands in their World Cup opener in Hyderabad and believes that the team would gain confidence by putting up a fine show in their first game of the marquee event.
“Form comes and goes, but the quality of the players in the positions is undoubted. We are just making sure that those guys are there in a great space technically and mentally and hopefully they click tomorrow, and from there the confidence just grows.
“I have no worries about the skills of the players. They are one performance away from getting their confidence and hopefully, we get that one tomorrow,” Mickey Arthur added.
Pakistan have been a strong force in white-ball cricket in recent times. The Men in Green made it to the semi-finals of the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup before making it to the summit clash in the 2022 edition of the same tournament.
The Men in Green will look to do well in the conditions that would favour their style of gameplay in ODI cricket.