The Purpose Of Leaving BBL Is To Improve My Bowling, Focussing More On Test Cricket, Says Shadab Khan

The purpose of leaving BBL is to improve my bowling, focussing more on Test cricket, says Shadab Kha (Image Source: IANS)

Big Bash League: Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has revealed the reason behind parting ways with his Big Bash League (BBL) contract to prioritize four-day cricket in a bid to enhance his bowling skills and make a comeback into the Test team.

"The purpose behind leaving the Big Bash contract is to first improve my bowling by playing four-day cricket, and secondly, to perform well and make a comeback into the Test team," said Shadab to Cricket Pakistan.

While he acknowledged that his bowling needs to be improved, the 25-year-old is confident that playing the longer game format will help him enhance his skills more broadly.

"I didn't leave the Big Bash contract because of playing national T20; rather, my focus was more on playing four-day cricket. Because I felt that I needed improvement in my bowling, and that would come through playing four-day cricket," he further added.

Shadab also stated that he is committed to bettering himself and that he is eager to get back on track and make a significant contribution to the national squad.

"I have tried to invest in myself to play four-day cricket and improve my bowling. If my bowling improves, and along with that, if my batting also improves, it will be beneficial for the Pakistan team," Shadab explained.

In order to align his objectives with the upcoming World Cup, Shadab said he views playing four-day cricket as a smart move and an investment in his skills.

“The effort is to improve myself through four-day cricket and bring back my form. Because the World Cup is approaching, and if I am in good form, it will benefit Pakistan," he said

Shadab Khan also shared his thoughts on Babar Azam's decision to give up the captaincy of the national cricket team in all formats. Shadab expressed his respect for Babar's choice as well as his sincere wishes. The leg-spinner also expressed gratitude for Shaheen Shah Afridi, the team's recently named T20I captain.

"Look, everyone has their own decision, and Babar has stepped down. We send him our best wishes. We've had a great time with him as the captain for Pakistan. Now, Shaheen has taken on the role, and we're excited about it. We've witnessed his [Shaheen's] captaincy in the PSL, and it feels great. Let's see how it goes playing under his captaincy for the first time; it will give an idea of how much fun it is, and I am very excited to play under Shaheen's captaincy," Shadab concluded.