LAHORE: Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has backed Shadab Khan’s decision to continue as a batting all-rounder despite continued scrutiny of his bowling following the series-defining defeat against Australia in the second ODI at the Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday.
Shatab has not featured in ODI cricket since the 2023 World Cup before the three-match series opener against Australia and his selection has already sparked debate among pundits and fans.
With the next World Cup 16 months away, the Pakistan think tank has decided to test and expand its player base.
The management handed out six debutants during the recent Bangladesh series, while Arafat Minhas became the latest debutant in the first ODI in Rawalpindi, where he made his debut with a record five-wicket haul.
It will be Shadab’s first ODI return since the 2023 World Cup, where he took just two wickets in six matches at an average of 118.5. His limited recent exposure to 50-over cricket raised further questions, with his last List A appearance coming in the President’s Cup one-day tournament in October 2024.
The presence of specialist spinners Sufyan Mukeem and Abrar Ahmed in the squad intensified the debate over Shadab’s role, especially as he struggled with the ball.
Those concerns persisted into the ongoing series. Shatab scored 110 runs in the first two ODIs with an economy rate of 6.47 without taking a wicket.
He remained wicketless in the three matches prior to this series, the last time he took a multi-wicket haul in the 2023 Asia Cup opener at Multan, where he took 4 for 27 against Nepal.
However, the Pakistan management believes that Shadab’s value now lies more in his batting. Chasing 232, the all-rounder hit 71 off 104 balls in the second ODI to keep Pakistan in the match for a while before Australia won by 41 runs, bowling out the hosts for 190.
It was his first half-century since June 2022 against the West Indies in Multan, but the team management insists the change has been planned for some time.
“Shadab, throughout his career, started as a bowler who batted and became a batting all-rounder. So, he would bat at six or seven depending on the situation,” Hesson said.
His lapses with the ball have now pushed him down the bowling pecking order.
“He is our fifth bowler in this line-up with Salman Ali Agha or Mas Sathak,” added Hesson.
Following the match, Hassan was also seen discussing the pitch conditions with the Chief Superintendent of Gaddafi Stadium.
He had earlier mentioned in ‘X’ that Pakistan is preparing spin-friendly surfaces as part of long-term planning ahead of the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Asked whether the instructions for the final ODI would remain the same, Hesson said conditions, rather than instructions, would dictate action.
“There’s not a lot of grass there to play on, so it’s going to be a spinning surface, not quick wickets,” he said.
“It’s incredibly hot, so that’s the surface we’re going to get at this time of year. Last year we played South Africa and Sri Lanka on pitches with pace and bounce. We’ve been lucky enough to make a lot of different pitches. Today, Australia scored more runs with the bat and we started badly with the ball. That’s certainly not a mistake.”