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Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has opened up about his recent struggles on the international circuit, as well as his resurgent form in the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL) season.
Shadab Khan’s outstanding run in LPL 2024
Shadab, representing the Colombo Strikers in the LPL, has been impressive, picking up 16 wickets – the most by any bowler in the tournament.
This includes a hat-trick in his very first game against the Kandy Falcons and a four-wicket haul against the Jaffna Kings. However, the 25-year-old revealed that he had been struggling for the past three months, going wicketless in his last seven international matches for Pakistan.
“I was struggling for three months. I hadn’t taken a wicket in the last seven international games. I came here, started bowling and am now always taking wickets. That is the beauty of cricket. You have to enjoy these types of scenarios as well… sometimes you perform, sometimes you don’t. But the process that you follow has to be consistent,” Shadab stated in the press release by LPL.
Despite his recent lean patch, Shadab emphasized the importance of maintaining a consistent process and love for this beautiful game.
Challenges in the T20 format
Shadab also discussed the conditions in the LPL, noting that the pitch in Dambulla was helpful for spinners. However, he acknowledged that T20 cricket has become increasingly challenging, with teams regularly posting scores of 200 or more. As a result, Shadab emphasized the need for spinners to have a variety of deliveries in their arsenal.
“The pitch was helping us as it was a bit slow and gripping a bit… But T20 cricket is very hard nowadays, as 200 is easily changeable. As a spinner, you have to have your variations because on flat tracks, if you don’t have variations, you can go for runs. But if you have variation, you can take wickets as well as contain runs. So that is very important, and it is also important that you land it in a good area,” Shadab explained.
Also WATCH: Shadab Khan picks up a hat-trick against Kandy Falcons in LPL 2024
Goals for the tournament
Looking ahead, Shadab expressed his desire to contribute as an all-rounder across all departments of the game for the Colombo Strikers and not just bowling.
“I am performing for my team, and that is a good sign. I am the main bowler, and if I am taking wickets, that is a positive sign for me and my team. I want to contribute in all three phases. So far, I am contributing in two as a bowler and fielder. Hopefully, I can contribute with the bat too,” he concluded.
