Shadab Khan: An all-time Pakistan great in the making

Pakistan cricket has rarely, if ever, wavered from producing high quality seam bowling. The likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shaoib Akhtar, and in the present day Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf are all examples of vicious seamers.

Of course, Pakistan has produced top spinners as well – the likes of Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi are the most notable examples in recent years, and while he can be likened to Afridi in some ways, there are certain qualities that separate Shadab Khan.

The leg-spinner is beginning to properly come into his own, particularly as a limited overs cricketer, and is returning the backing that has been given to him by Pakistan selectors since he was a fresh-faced youngster.

Shadab had a good couple of years after breaking into the Pakistan team at 18 years old, truly bursting onto the scene in his first ever T20I series, winning player of the series against West Indies in 2017 when he took figures of 3 for 7 on debut (the best figures ever on debut in a Pakistan T20I), and 4 for 14 the following game; finishing the series with 10 wickets, and the year with 14.

Incredibly, he doubled his haul the following year, taking 28 wickets – a record total for Pakistan in a year in T20I cricket – at an average of just 17.42, truly cementing himself in the white-ball sides.

He did begin to stagnate a few years, though. His bowling – which was seen as main asset previously – had diminishing returns in Pakistan colours, he failed to surpass 10 wickets in both 2019 and 2020, averaging 56.75 and 35.85, respectively.

He also struggled in the Pakistan Super League, he averaged 29.37 for his nine wickets in the 2020 edition, and the same haul at 36.11 in 2021.

A genuine turner of the ball though, Shadab has not