News
Shadab Khan’s return to 50-over cricket has been anything but straightforward. Recalled for the ongoing three-match series against Australia – his first ODIs since the 2023 World Cup – the leg-spinning all-rounder has struggled with the ball yet reminded everyone of his batting value with a hard-earned 71 in Tuesday’s second match in Lahore.
Pakistan’s selectors, with the 2027 World Cup still 16 months away, have opened the doors to a wider pool. Six caps were handed out on the recent trip to Bangladesh; at home, Arafat Minhas debuted in the first ODI and promptly took a record five-for. In that fluid environment Shadab, who had not played a List A game since October 2024, was asked to slot straight back in. On paper it looked a gamble, especially with specialist spinners Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed also in the squad.
Two games in, the bowling numbers do not flatter him – 0 for 110 from 17 overs at 6.47 despite surfaces offering decent grip. The drought predates this series too; his most recent multi-wicket haul arrived against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup opener. It is a lean run, and not one easily ignored.
Yet Pakistan’s hierarchy kept stressing the other side of the ledger. “Shadab, I guess, has made a transition throughout his career, starting more of a bowler who batted to a batting all-rounder because of which he bats on six or seven depending on the situation,” head coach Mike Hesson said on match eve. Later, after another wicketless outing, Hesson clarified the bowling pecking order: “He is our fifth bowler along with [Salman Ali] Agha or Maaz [Sadaqat] in this line-up.”
That wording matters. Labelled a fifth bowler, Shadab’s primary job, at least for now, is to lengthen the batting. In Lahore he almost did it perfectly. Chasing 232, Pakistan were wobbling at 102 for five when he walked in. With little support from the other end he soaked up pressure, worked the gaps and – briefly – had Australia feeling the squeeze. When Tanveer Sangha fired a leg-side wide that Alex Carey whipped off the bails, Shadab was on 71 from 104 balls. Australia closed the game soon after; Pakistan lost by 19 runs. Even so, the fightback lent weight to the ‘batting all-rounder’ tag inside the dressing-room.
Fans on social media hailed it as a resurgence; those inside the team saw it as something nearer to expectation. Shadab has hinted at this upside before – notably the 43 off 36 against South Africa and 40 off 38 against Afghanistan at last year’s World Cup – but has rarely produced a truly match-winning ODI innings. Tuesday’s knock, his first fifty since June 2022, will not appear in highlight reels, yet it showed control and calm that the top order had lacked.
The question, of course, is sustainability. Pakistan’s ODI spin cupboard is far from bare. Muqeem and Abrar are attacking wrist-spinners; Minhas, on early evidence, is a clever left-armer; Agha Salman offers reliable off-spin. If Shadab’s bowling stays flat, selection becomes a straight batting call – and that is a tougher sell when Nos. 6 and 7 already look crowded.
Conditions add another layer. Hesson revealed on X before the game that the series would be played on spin-friendly strips as a dry-run for the 2027 tournament across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, where variety is likely. After Tuesday’s defeat he was spotted chatting with the Gaddafi Stadium curator, reportedly about how much more turn could realistically be coaxed out of the square. The idea is sound: use home advantage to stress-test combinations. The flip-side is that a spinner leaking runs on such pitches stands out even more.
Inside the camp, the mood remains measured. Shadab, while disappointed with the ball, accepts the dual brief. He told team-mates afterwards that he “felt one big over away” from cracking through. For now, he trains as hard on his one-day power-hitting as on his variations. The coaches insist there is no panic.
Australia, meanwhile, have quietly wrapped up the series. Pat Cummins spoke of “finding ways to win on slightly alien surfaces” and was especially pleased with Sangha’s composure at the death. Those comments may offer Pakistan a hint: opponents are treating these games as high-value reconnaissance missions rather than dead-rubbers.
Pakistan have one match left in this series – a chance, perhaps, for Shadab to turn tidy runs into a decisive contribution, or to rediscover a wicket-taking rhythm. Either outcome would strengthen his case ahead of a busy calendar that includes a tri-series in Sri Lanka and, crucially, Champions Trophy qualifiers at home.
For the moment, he remains a conundrum: an all-rounder who is delivering strongly in only one discipline. Tuesday suggested that might just be enough to keep him in the XI. But the margins are thin, and younger spinners are circling.
