Mushtaq Ahmed explains why Shadab Khan isn’t performing:
Mushtaq Ahmed, a former Pakistan leg-spinner, has disclosed the cause behind Shadab Khan’s recent poor form with the ball.
Mushtaq told Cricket Pakistan in an exclusive interview that Shadab’s bowling is being hampered by injuries and a lack of repeatable bowling action.
“Shadab has been hurt frequently over the last six months, which has hampered his bowling. The only way he can regain his rhythm is to bowl long spells in four-day cricket. Leg-spin is a difficult art, and you can’t be effective if you’re not confident. Shadab is a highly good cricketer who understands the game well; I’m confident he’ll come back strong. His approach to the game makes him a significant asset to Pakistan cricket,” Mushtaq remarked.
“He also has to make his bowling action more repeatable so he doesn’t have to worry about where his ball will land and can instead focus on getting wickets,” he added.
Mushtaq, the Multan Sultans’ spin bowling coach, also discussed his team’s remarkable run in the just-finished HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season six.
“Coaches can only be effective if their players carry out their ideas correctly, which our team did. Rizwan, who captained the side really effectively, played a significant role in making this happen,” he remarked.
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“Momentum is quite important in this type of cricket. We had a strong team in the Karachi leg but were unable to win, but after winning our first match in Abu Dhabi, our team gained confidence that they might win the tournament.”
He also praised teenage pacer Shahnawaz Dahani, who took the most wickets in the tournament.
“Shahnawaz Dahani’s action is fairly repeatable, so we don’t need to mess with it too much. The only thing he requires is tactical advice on how to bowl to a certain batsman. “What I like about him is that he understands and implements strategies quickly,” he remarked.
“Dahani spilled a few runs in one or two matches, but we knew he was a match-winner, so we backed him. I told him about the 1992 World Cup when captain Imran Khan told me to concentrate on capturing wickets rather than worrying about how many runs I was giving up. He has a promising future ahead of him, and we hope to protect him,” he added.
Mushtaq also believes Pakistan has a decent chance of winning the next limited-overs series against England, which begins on July 8 with the first ODI.
“Pakistan must take its first steps without fear of failure. “We have match-winners who can change the game’s complexion,” he remarked. “I believe England’s bowling is lacking, which Pakistan may exploit. Meanwhile, to counteract their powerful batting, we should have a team of five true bowlers to match their strength.”
