Shadab Khan hits back at critics after guiding Pakistan to Super 8s

Following his side's win over Namibia, which earned them a spot in the Super Eight phase of the ICC T20 World Cup, Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan spoke on criticism from ex-cricketers, pointing out that it is not in his control and is a "part of cricket's history".

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With a quickfire 36* in 22 balls and three wickets, Shadab was at his all-round best during his side's comprehensive thrashing of Namibia by 102 runs at Colombo, with Sahibzada Farhan's maiden T20I ton being the centre of the action. With this win, Pakistan is officially in the Super Eights along with England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in their group.

However, things were not so much positive and light for the team in the aftermath of the clash against India at Colombo during which, Shadab conceded 17 runs in only one over he bowled and scored a sluggish 15-ball 14 in chase of 176 runs. Following this on X, former Pakistani cricketer Mohammed Yousuf said on X that the "time was up for Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan" and they needed to be dropped.

'You can't control criticism'

Speaking during the post-match presser, Shadab said about such criticism from ex-cricketers, the all-rounder acknowledged while they had achieved a lot for Pakistan cricket in their playing days, even the current lot has achieved their share of things, such as a 10-wicket win over India in T20 WC 2021.

"For criticism, you can't control it. Everyone has their own opinions. I think since I came back, there was just one over where things did not go well, and because of that, I faced a lot of criticism. But I do not need to justify that. I focus on what I can control. A bad day or a bad over can happen. It's T20 cricket--you can give runs, or you can take wickets. I don't think too much about it."

"Our former cricketers have their own opinions, and they have done great things for Pakistan. But at the end of the day, even in the World Cup, we as a team have achieved results, like defeating India in 2021. So criticism is part of cricket's history," he said.

Strategy for Super 8 stage

On his side's strategy after reaching Super 8 stage, Shadab said that the key is to "keep doing the good things we have been doing".

"Our openers are giving us good starts in almost every match. The form of Sahibzada has been excellent, and whenever a batter stands up in those conditions and scores 70-plus, it takes you above a par score," he said.

"As a batting unit, we need to continue that. In bowling, we have to keep hitting the right areas consistently. We have Usman and Abrar, two mystery spinners. Saim (Ayub) is bowling well, (Mohammed) Nawaz is there, and I am there too. It is a good combination, along with the fast bowlers," he added.

Shadab said he feels the team is on the right track and acknowledged that the team did not perform as expected and could have won had they played to their full potential. "Still, it is part of the game. We will continue focusing on our main goal," he said.

On Babar Azam and Team Changes

Shadab was also asked about Babar Azam, team's premier batter not getting out to bat and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi not getting to play the final league stage clash. However, the all-rounder insisted that as a professional cricketer, one "cannot take these things to heart".

"The team's environment and messages are very clear, so it's not a problem for any player. Everyone is trying to help the team win. The Super 8 will be tough. There will be pressure games. At the end of the day, you can only control certain things, so you should focus on controlling those," he added.

The all-rounder also ruled out chances of experiments from the team during the Super Eight stage. "Our messages are very clear. If you are talking about Babar not being called to bat, he knows exactly when his role comes into play. The messages are clear for every player. The team changes according to conditions, and that is what is happening," he signed off.

Match Summary

After Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first, it wad Sahibzada's century along with knocks from skipper Salman Ali Agha (38 in 23 balls, with three fours and two sixes) and Shadab Khan (36* in 22 balls, with a four and three sixes) took them to 199/3 in 20 overs.

In turn, Usman Tariq (4/16) and Shadab (3/19 in four overs) bundled out Namibia for just 97 runs in 17.3 overs, with Louren Steenkamp (23 in 22 balls, with three fours and a six). Sahibzada won the 'Player of the Match' award.