Pakistan cricket team would be keen to start off their campaign in a grand fashion against the spirited Dutch on 06th October at Hyderabad. Shadab Khan has been under scrutiny for his below-par performance in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2023. Shadab Khan could be promoted up the order as he could provide stability to the team in the middle overs phase.
Pakistan should not make the mistake of taking the Netherlands lightly as they have got a surprise element in them which makes them a team to beat. We should not forget that how the Netherlands thrashed the mighty West Indies in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Qualifiers which says a lot about the team’s dynamics.
Netherlands will be aware of Pakistan’s fragile middle order as the top order holds the key for the Men in Green. The role of Roelof van der Merwe would be quite pivotal for Dutch as the left arm spinner has the knack of outplaying the opposition with his variations.
Shadab Khan is just short of a little confidence- Mickey Arthur
Pakistan cricket team’s director Mickey Arthur was having an interaction with the reporters ahead of the Netherlands contest. Mickey Arthur pointed out that Shadab Khan has a very good googly and stated that Shadab Khan is a very quality player. Mickey Arthur said that they have got some unfinished business after the hammering they received in 2019 ODI WC in UK.
“I wholeheartedly back Shadab. He’s a wonderful cricketer. You look at his package of bowling, batting, fielding, it’s exceptional. If we look at his bowling in isolation, he’s just short of a little confidence. He hasn’t lost his ability to turn the ball,” said Mickey Arthur.
“His googly is still very, very good. He’s one performance away from getting that confidence back and making sure that he has a real big influence on this World Cup. So I’d like that to come tomorrow, but I’m not worried about Shadab because I know he’s a quality player,” he stated.
“The boys have loved being in India. They’ve embraced being here, which has been fantastic. The pressure of a World Cup is always massive, but I think our boys are in a really good place and part of the attraction for me is it’s very similar squad to what we had in 2019 and it’s almost unfinished business I felt in 2019,” he added.
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