In the Bangladesh Premier League, Khushdil has scored 274 runs at an average of 91 in eight matches and taken 11 wickets. Since then, there's been a buzz on Pakistani social media about how Khushdil Shah is in great form. So, why can't we consider adding him to the Champions Trophy squad? We’ll discuss whether it’s possible or not. The last time Khushdil played for Pakistan was in 2022 in ODIs, and he also played T20s that same year when England visited Pakistan. He was in action in 2023 for the A team in Gwangju.
Basically, it counts as an Asian Games event when they played, but technically, the Pakistan team last played in 2022. If we talk about ODIs, they played around 10 matches, all in 2022, and just one match in 2021. As for T20s, they played in 2019 and continued through 2020, 2021, and 2022. Their T20 record wasn’t that great; they got 2 matches with an average of 19 runs. But in ODIs, they played 10 matches with an average of about 36, scoring over 230 runs and more than 140 in total.
Happy Dil Shah is around 29 or 30 years old, give or take a year or two. I always say that when you see him playing under Rizwan's captaincy in Multan Sultans, he looks different. No matter where he plays, he stands out. Even though he's currently playing in the BPL, he's completely transformed. Just so you know, many Pakistani cricketers might seem a bit lackluster when they're in the national team.
Captains can seem a bit off when their leadership changes or when they’re in a less pressured environment. A great example of this is Khushdil Shah. Just look at how Rizwan really backed him up at Multan Sultans—he kept getting him to bowl during the power play, in the middle overs, and at the end too. Khushdil has been a decent left-arm spinner there and has done okay with the bat, but he didn’t exactly set the world on fire with his batting last time.
"Last time in the PSL, but we all know he can really hit well in the BPL. We saw how he went after Wasim Junior, who's a pretty good bowler. The point is, he's been making a mark in the BPL, not just this time but before too; he's been scoring well. He played decently in domestic cricket as well. Let me tell you a little story about Khushdil Shah: about a week or ten days ago, I interviewed Fakhar Zaman."
I was chatting off-camera about some cricketers, and I asked him about Khushdil. He praised Khushdil a lot, even though he hadn't done much at that moment. But Fakhar Zaman really spoke highly of him, saying, "Man, he's such a talented, composed cricketer. He has all the skills, but we need to know how to use him properly. He could be a great asset for Pakistan." Those were Fakhar Zaman's words about Khushdil. Now, what do I think? Well, a few days ago, I shared my opinion...
I had put together the team for the Champions Trophy, and I mentioned Iftikhar Ahmed. I think there’s still some cricket left in him. He might be a bit better at slogging in the lower middle order compared to some players currently in Pakistan. But again, Salman Agha showed us during the South Africa trip that he can come in from the bottom and play aggressive innings. He’s done well, not bad, and has faced spinners effectively too.
"They're good at fielding and all, but if we don't have a player like Saim Ayub, we're in trouble. You don't have any other bowling options, so you’ll have to go with five regular bowlers. You can’t rely on Salman Agha for 10 overs. Irfan Niyazi can bowl too, but we haven't really seen him utilized yet. I think Ifan Nasi is a solid middle-order batsman. The fielders are really impressive. You know, a lot of casual cricket fans tend to remember the player who's currently in the spotlight."
I think we often forget about Irfan Niazi and how much he can do for Pakistan. We shouldn't overlook him. But the point is, God forbid, if Saim wasn't available, I feel like Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman could be our openers. Kamran Ghulam would be at one down, and Rizwan would play at four. Then we have Salman Agha, and I think we should include Irfan as well, along with another opener from options like Iftikhar Ahmed or Khushdil Shah, whichever you prefer.
"I think it’s better if you have a left-arm spinner option, which you don’t really have right now. If you play Sufiyan Muqeem, he’s also a chinaman bowler, so that gives you a left-arm spinner. Most teams have more right-handed batsmen, maybe apart from Sri Lanka and the West Indies, but I’m not sure about that. Anyway, they’re not playing in the Champions Trophy either. The point is, a left-arm spinner can trouble right-handers, and they can also do pretty well with the new ball."
In these conditions, it's actually better to consider both options. We can't rule out Iftikhar either; he can spin as well. If Iftikhar plays, then maybe Salman Agha won't, since they're both all-rounders in a way. But I really think you shouldn't ignore Khushdil Shah; you've got to think about him. There’s definitely a chance for him. I've actually covered that tour when Khushdil played, and I also covered when they played against New Zealand.
Later on, we didn't continue with him because he had a problem. When we played against India in 2021 in Dubai, he was getting trapped by short pitches. Even after that, he struggled with short balls. But now, he's made a lot of progress in that area. If you look at the PSL, Haris Rauf gets him with short pitches and sometimes with slower balls. Short pitches were a bit of a weakness for him, but of course, it’s been two years—actually, almost three years now. He realizes how to deal with it; he’s a cricketer after all.
"They must have worked really hard on him because he’s looking great in a solid package right now. He’s taken 11 wickets, and his batting is decent too. There’s a whole different energy about Khushdil Shah, and he’s super motivated. Honestly, I think the noise surrounding him right now is nothing compared to the uproar when they were thinking of dropping him. That’s just how cricket fans are here; they make a big fuss after watching just a couple of innings. If he has a few bad games, they go off again. But with Khushdil, I feel like his poor performance in T20s has really affected him."
"They even dropped him from the ODI squad, and I think he wasn't that bad in ODIs. He got a fair shot with 10 matches; he didn't get a chance in two of them, but he played eight, scoring over 230 runs and 140 runs in those games. He was good, and I think he played his first match in Perth. As for T20, I mostly feel that Khushdil Shah still has a lot of cricket left in him. Are we looking at him from a Champions Trophy perspective or beyond? He's a good player, not a bad one. But now, in his situation, I feel it's a tough call."
It could be that if you don't have Saim Ayub, then maybe they won't fit in because you'd already have a full middle order. If you don’t have Saim Ayub, you need to add a bowler and a batsman who can also bowl. So, you have Khushdil and Iftikhar. If you take Iftikhar, then the option of Salman Agha goes out the window. I think Khushdil could still be a good option. The point is, in case, God forbid, you don't have Saim Ayub, you might want to adjust your batting order a bit.
"We can change the opener to Babar or Rizwan, but I think Babar would be better. Rizwan also does the keeping, so after doing the long keeping for 50 overs, he might struggle to open. There are many keepers who can, but cricket has changed a bit now, and Babar seems to be a better fit for the opening role. You can use Rizwan lower down the order, and his best use is as a captain. He can also be utilized as a left-arm spinner. Trust me, if you've watched the matches in PSL, you know what I'm talking about with Multan Sultans."
He seemed to stand out as a different bowler, and it looked like he’s a good bowler. Although he hasn’t played those big innings with the bat, which is a bit of a burden on him. His team has changed this PSL, but the point is you might see him in a different light this time because his form is a bit different. Still, I believe he’s faced the most pressure from fans, and among them, Khushdil Shah has definitely felt that pressure.
There was definitely pressure when they played, you could feel it because the fans were chanting to get them out of the team. Now, they’re making the same noise to bring them back, and you can't rule them out. There are definitely players who can compete at the international level; they've played before. The biggest advantage is that it gives Pakistan a bowling boost as well. What do you guys think about this?
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