Pakistan men’s cricket team’s assistant head coach Azhar Mahmood revealed the reason behind backing Shadab Khan despite his struggles during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Speaking to media in Houston, the former all-rounder said that Khan was kept in Pakistan playing XI for all the matches due to the failure of the batting order.
According to Azhar Mahmood, Shadab Khan was a complete player and could not be dropped from the team during the T20 World Cup 2024.
Mahmood was accompanied by senior manager and member selection committee Wahab Riaz who mentioned that the all-rounder was selected in the team based on experience.
Riaz revealed that he had told Usama Mir that there was no place for him in the team for the T20 World Cup 2024.
For the unversed, former champions Pakistan had a disastrous T20 World Cup 2024 campaign as they were, in a first, knocked out of the tournament from the group stage.
Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel
The Green Shirts had a disapponting start to their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign as they suffered a shock loss against the USA in the Super Over.
Pakistan then succumbed to a frustrating six-run defeat against arch-rivals India at a jam-packed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on June 9.
The back-to-back defeats put Pakistan on the verge of an early exit from the tournament.
The former champions then finally got on the winning track when they registered a hard-fought seven-wicket victory over Canada.
Pakistan then edged past Ireland in another stiff challenge to bow out of the T20 World Cup 2024 with a win.
The 2009 champions finished third in Group A standings with four points in four matches.
READ: Hat-trick may not spare Pat Cummins from T20 World Cup 2024 chop