Saud Shakeel is set to open the 2-Test series against Sri Lanka as a key member of Pakistan’s batting line-up.
Saud Shakeel sat outside and watched the 2 Test matches played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Galle exactly one year ago.
Saud Shakeel started his Test career with the Rawalpindi Test against England in December last year.
Left-handed batsman Saud Shakeel did not have to wait long to make his presence felt and he played a remarkable knock of 76 runs in the second innings of the match.
After scoring 63 runs in the first innings of the Multan Test, he scored 94 runs in the second innings to bring the Pakistani team close to the target of 355 runs.
Saud Shakeel also scored a half-century in the third Test of this series and when the New Zealand team played 2 Test matches in Karachi, after scoring an unbeaten half-century in the first Test, he scored his first Test century of 125 in the next Test. The innings of runs not out was played. This is the same ground where Saud Shakeel scored his first first-class century.
So far, Saud Shakeel has scored 580 runs in 10 innings of 5 Test matches with the help of one century and five half-centuries, while the number of runs scored by him in first-class cricket is 4844 and the average is more than fifty.
A new challenge for Saud Shakeel is that he is going to play a Test match for the first time outside the country.
27-year-old Saud Shakeel has worked hard and prepared himself in training camps in Karachi and Lahore to face this challenge.
Speaking to PCB Digital, Saud Shakeel said, “I have focused a lot on improving my skills in the national camp and adding more shots.” I have focused on strengthening my batting on spin bowling in the national camp keeping in mind that there are spin wickets.
Saud Shakeel says that I have also focused on how to score runs in Sri Lankan conditions. I play sweep shots well so I have tried to improve that too because I know that by playing sweep shots you can disturb the length and line of the bowler.
“Sweep shots are my strength,” he said. Some players improvise, but I prepare myself for the shot in advance.
Saud Shakeel said that domestic cricket and playing for Pakistan A benefit the cricketers a lot. I have played in Sri Lanka before though the city was different but still I have an idea of the conditions here.
Saud Shakeel says that international cricket is about handling pressure. If you stay calm on the wicket, you will be able to make better decisions. Even off the field I stay calm and that helps me make better decisions.
Saud Shakeel says the first Test century in Karachi is my favorite innings. I regret that I was dismissed for 94 runs against England in Multan and could not finish the match. If I had finished the match, that innings would have been my favorite innings.
The first Test match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be played from Sunday while the second match will start from July 24.
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