Shadab says playing impactful innings ‘difficult’ as compared with consistent runs
Shadab played a quick-fire knock of 41 runs in the third T20I against New Zealand
Pakistan’s star all-rounder Shadab Khan has admitted that playing an impactful innings is a more challenging task as compared with making runs on a consistent basis.
Shadab shared these thoughts after Pakistan suffered an upset loss against New Zealand during the third T20I of the series on Sunday.
However, Shadab impressed with the bat by playing a quick-fire knock of 41 runs.
"I have played one-down and two-down in the PSL and that's where I think I am most comfortable. But I'm also fine with being used as a floater,” Shadab said after the match.
“If I get a chance, the planning will be the same - I'm the sort of player who will look to make quick runs. Sometimes, you need impactful innings, especially in T20 cricket nowadays. Making runs consistently in T20 cricket isn't difficult, but playing impactful innings is difficult,” he added.
Shadab also said that Pakistan could have posted more than 200 runs in the third T20I.
"On the Pindi pitch, it's difficult to contain runs. I think we could have made 200 here after the start we got. In the middle overs, they bowled well, but I think we could have utilised them better," he said.
New Zealand made a stunning comeback in the five-match T20I series courtesy of Mark Chapman who led the visitors to victory by seven wickets in the third match at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.
The series is now level at 1-1 with two matches remaining in Lahore. The matches are scheduled on April 25 and 27 at the Gaddafi Stadium.
New Zealand had a great start to the 179-run target with openers Tim Robinson (28) and Tim Seifert (21), scoring 42 runs for the first wicket.
The home side looked to stage a comeback with back-to-back dismissals by Naseem Shah and Abbas Afridi but Chapman, paired with Dean Foxcroft had their plans.
The left-hander was the aggressor in the partnership of 117 runs while Foxcroft supported him brilliantly. Chapman reached his eighth fifty in this format and finished on an unbeaten score of 87. He stroked nine fours and four sixes in his 42-ball innings
Foxcroft made 31 off 29 balls with the chase completing in the 19th over.
Earlier, the hosts started well with Saim Ayub dominating the visitors. The opening duo of Saim and Babar made 54-0. Saim was caught by James Neesham off Ish Sodhi's bowling after scoring 32 runs from 22 balls at a strike rate of 145.45.
Meanwhile, in a 62-run partnership with Irfan Khan, Shadab stroked 41 runs off 20 balls with the help of six boundaries. Irfan finished not-out on 20-ball 30, smashing three fours and a six.
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