Tag: Saud Shakeel

DUBAI: Pakistan batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan suffered a steep decline, while Saud Shakeel made significant gains in the latest ICC Test Batting Rankings released on Wednesday.

It’s worth noting that Pakistan recently suffered a two-wicket defeat in a thrilling first Test of the two-match series against South Africa.

Saud Shakeel fell early in the first innings, scoring 14 off 6, however, in the second innings he played a gutsy knock of 84 runs against a fiery pace attack of South Africa.

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Consequently, he made a three-place jump in the ICC Test Batting Rankings to claim sixth position with 764 rating points.

Meanwhile, Babar Azam, despite breaking his half-century drought, dropped two places to 17th spot with 669 points.

He got out for four in the first innings but in the second innings, he scored a crucial 50 runs from 85 balls, laced with nine boundaries.

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On the other hand, Mohammad Rizwan continued his below-par run in red-ball cricket, scoring 30 runs across two innings in the first Test against South Africa. As a result, he dropped two places to 21st.

Pakistan’s spinner Noman Ali and pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, who missed the first Test against South Africa, dropped one spot to ninth and eighteenth place respectively in the ICC Test Bowling Rankings.

Meanwhile, Naseem Shah gained six places to reach the 33rd spot after he picked four wickets across two innings against South Africa.

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ABBOTABAD: Saud Shakeel registered his 22nd first-class century to give Karachi Whites a strong start against AJK on the opening day of the fourth round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium.

Karachi Whites finished the first day with 345-8 in 71 overs. Ramiz Aziz remained unbeaten for 96 as he partnered with Saud Shakeel for a 194-run fifth-wicket stand.

In another match, Mohammad Faizan’s all-round heroics involving 7-13 and 34-ball 61 stole the show at National Ground in Islamabad as Faisalabad finished with a 56-run lead and three wickets in hand against Larkana.

Batting first, Larkana were dismissed for 91 in 40.4 overs. Faisalabad were 147-7 in 26 overs at stumps courtesy of Mushtaq Ahmed’s 5-49.

Islamabad’s Musa Khan picked up his third first-class five-fer to skittle out Hyderabad for 93 in 21.3 overs at Diamond Cricket Ground, Islamabad. Kaleem Dil backed up with 4-36. At stumps, Islamabad had gained a 50-run lead with five wickets in hand.

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At Shoaib Akhtar Stadium, Rawalpindi’s Shadab Khan bagged his third first-class five-wicket haul. Bahawalpur were bundled out for 233 in 59 overs as Mohammad Sheharyar top-scored with an unbeaten 74. At stumps, Rawalpindi were 41-3.

Lahore Whites’ Ubaid Shah (4-53), Mohammad Salman (3-52) and Ahmed Daniyal (2-15) shared nine wickets among them to dismiss Abbottabad for 174 in 53.4 overs. At the close of play, Lahore Whites were 81-3 in 21 overs.

At Mirpur Cricket Stadium, Karachi Blues’ Mohammad Hamza figures of 7-20 to bundle out DM Jamali for a mere 50 within the first session. In turn, Fawad Alam scored a 73-ball 62 as Karachi Blues finished the day with 144-8, with a 94-run lead.

Elsewhere, after a delayed start at Ashfaq Cricket Ground in Sirdheri, Charsadda, Multan closed the day with 120-2 in 32 overs against Peshawar, with skipper Imam-ul-Haq returning undefeated on 55.

Quetta were 89-4 in 29 overs at stumps against FATA at Railway Cricket Ground, Haripur as play started late due to wet conditions.

Only 35 overs of play was possible at Gohati Cricket Ground, Swabi, where Lahore Blues finished the day with 142-2 on the board courtesy of unbeaten half-centuries from Mohammad Saleem and Umar Siddiq.

READ: Mohammad Amir calls to ‘keep India out’ of Champions Trophy 2025

DUBAI: Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel and spinner Noman Ali earned rewards for their performances in the recently concluded Test series against England as they entered the top ten in the latest update of the ICC Test Rankings on Wednesday.

Pakistan’s decision to make four massive changes after the first Test thrashing paid off as their spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, coming in as Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah’s replacement, gave a new life to the struggling hosts.

The spin duo claimed 39 out of 40 England wickets to fall in the remaining two Tests, coupled with handy and timely cameos to further traumatize the touring side. Their mastery of spin steered Pakistan to their first home Test series victory since 2021.

Noman took 20 wickets in two Tests, which earned him an eight-spot jump to his career-best ninth position in the ICC Test Bowling Rankings with 759 rating points.

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Meanwhile, Sajid, who took 19 wickets, also claimed his career-best 38th place after a big leap of 12 spots in the bowling rankings.

On the other hand, Pakistan’s vice-captain Saud Shakeel scored a gutsy 134 in the third Test against England, which helped him jump a massive 20 spots to claim seventh rank in the ICC Test Batting Rankings.

Saud is now Pakistan’s highest-ranked batter in the ICC Test Rankings with 724 points. Meanwhile, Babar Azam gained one spot to 18th with 670 points.

Pakistan’s newly-appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan and vice-captain Salman Ali Agha dropped one and six places to 22 and 21 respectively in ICC Test Batting Rankings.

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RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s vice-captain, Saud Shakeel, expressed confidence in the team’s spin strategy with the hope of replicating the success of the Multan Test in the upcoming third Test against England.

The three-match Test series is currently levelled 1-1 and the deciding third match will be played from 24 October to 28 October at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan suffered a humiliating defeat by an innings and 47 runs in the series opener. The home side made an array of changes for the remainder of the series, including dropping their star batter Babar Azam and ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Domestic performer Kamran Ghulam made his long-awaited debut during the second Test against England, while spin bowlers Sajid Khan, Noman Ali and Zahid Mahmood made their return to the Test side.

The changes proved fruitful as Kamran scored a century on his debut, while Sajid and Noman shared 20 wickets to steer Pakistan to their first Test victory at home since February 2021.

Saud Shakeel, while addressing a press conference on Tuesday, remained optimistic that the groundsmen will make a spin-friendly pitch in Rawalpindi that will assist the home team.

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“Look, in my opinion, considering the type of pitch we’re seeing and the success we had in the second match, we’ll try to prepare a similar pitch that favours us,” said Saud.

“Multan has a bit more heat and humidity compared to Rawalpindi. Pindi generally favours fast bowlers, and you can get a bit more bounce there compared to Multan.

“Keeping these factors in mind, the groundsmen are preparing accordingly, ensuring that heaters and fans are needed due to the conditions. As it appears, the pitch looks like it will be spin-friendly.”

The left-hander praised spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali for their impressive comeback in the second Test against England, expressing high hopes for them to help the team win the series.

“Both of them were under pressure as they were making a comeback to the team. However, they showed that they have significant first-class experience backing them,” Saud added.

“Hopefully, both will contribute in the same way in the third match to help the team win.”

READ: England make two changes to Playing XI for third Pakistan Test

GALLE: Rising Sri Lanka batter Kamindu Mendis added another feather to his cap as he equalled Pakistan ace batter Babar Azam’s two-year-old Test record.

Mendis achieved the milestone when he scored an unbeaten half-century on the opening day of Sri Lanka’s second Test against New Zealand.

This was his eighth consecutive half-century in the longest format and thus drew level with star Pakistan batter Babar, who achieved the feat in 2022.

As a result, Kamindu Mendis joined Babar Azam as the only two batters to score eight consecutive half-centuries since 2018.

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Furthermore, Mendis, who has been in red-hot form since his Test return, became the first batter in the history of Test cricket to score a fifty-plus score in each of his first eight Tests, going past Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel, who scored seven.

Most 50-plus scores in consecutive Tests

Kamindu Mendis (SL): 8 Matches*
Saud Shakeel (PAK): 7 Matches
Bert Sutcliffe (NZ): 6 Matches
Saeed Ahmed (PAK): 6 Matches
Basil Butcher (WI): 6 Matches
Sunil Gavaskar (IND): 6 Matches

Mendis made his debut for Sri Lanka in 2022 against Australia in Galle and wasted no time to announce himself with a well-crafted 61, playing a pivotal role in leading the home side to an innings victory.

Despite a ground-breaking debut, Mendis remained away from the Test side for almost two years. He finally made his comeback earlier this year in the away series against Bangladesh.

Mendis started from where he left off as he scored two centuries in each innings of the Sylhet Test and backed it with a brilliant 92 in Chittagong.

READ: Adam Gilchrist reveals what made him retire from Test cricket

FAISALABAD: Dolphins’ captain Saud Shakeel asserted some umpiring decisions and the toss factor played a major role in their premature exit from the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup.

Saud’s Dolphins was the only team left out of the playoffs as they finished last after the group-stage matches of the five-team tournament, managing just 12 points in four games.

The middle-order batter while speaking to a local news channel reflected on his team’s performance in the Champions Cup, suggesting that they struggled in all three departments.

“We didn’t play the way we wanted to in any of the three aspects—batting, bowling, or fielding. But winning and losing is part of the game, and it’s important to learn from our mistakes,” Saud said.

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Saud Shakeel further claimed that toss played a significant role in their ouster from the tournament before mentioning that some of the umpiring decisions also dented their campaign.

“The toss was crucial. In all three matches, we ended up bowling first, which didn’t work in our favour. Additionally, some umpiring decisions went against us, which impacted our performance,” he explained.

The left-handed batter then went on to reveal that the Dolphins had a strict focus on physical fitness ahead of the Champions Cup and also that all of their players had passed the fitness test but suggested that the players need to work on their physical conditioning.

“Perhaps the heat affected our energy levels. As professional players, we need to improve wherever we see room for it,” he added.

“The true test of a cricketer lies in long-format cricket, but anyone with solid first-class experience can excel in any format,” Saud concluded.

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GALLE: Sri Lanka’s middle-order batter Kamindu Mendis on Wednesday, equalled Pakistan’s emerging batter Saud Shakeel’s record in Test cricket.

Kamindu Mendis became only the second batter in the history of Test cricket to score seven fifty-plus scores in each of his first seven Tests, drawing level with Saud Shakeel, who set the milestone in July last year.

Mendis achieved the feat in Sri Lanka’s first Test of the two-match home series against New Zealand, underway here.

This was Mendis’ eighth fifty-plus score in his first seven Tests which saw him surpass some greats of the game including Pakistan’s Saeed Ahmed, India’s Sunil Gavaskar and West Indies’ Basil Butcher, who scored six fifty-plus scores in as many matches.

Mendis has been in red-hot form since making his Test return. He enjoyed a dream run with the bat in the recently concluded three-match away series against England, registering scores 2, 113, 74, 4, and 64.

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He made his debut for Sri Lanka in 2022 against Australia in Galle and wasted no time to announce himself with a well-crafted 61, playing a pivotal role in leading the home side to an innings victory.

Despite a ground-breaking debut, Mendis remained away from the Test side for almost two years. He finally made his comeback earlier this year in the away series against Bangladesh.

Mendis started from where he left off as he scored two centuries in each innings of the Sylhet Test and backed it with a brilliant 92 in Chittagong.

When this story was filed, Kamindu Mendis had successfully converted his record-equalling half-century into a magnificent century and was unbeaten on 106 off 156 deliveries with the help of 11 boundaries.

His brilliance with the bat has put Sri Lanka in a commanding position against New Zealand as the home side has accumulated 275/5 in 77 overs with Kamindu Mendis and Kusal Mendis going strong.

READ: Pakistan’s Asjad Iqbal qualifies for Mongolia World Cup semi-finals

FAISALABAD: Pakistan Test vice-captain Saud Shakeel has stated that having former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed in the team is a major boost for the Dolphins in the Champions One-Day Cup.

The five-team season-opening tournament will commence at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Thursday, 12 September, while the final will be played on 29 September.

The Dolphins will kick off their Champions Cup campaign on 14 September against Shadab Khan-led Panthers.

The 29-year-old Saud, who has represented Pakistan in 15 ODIs, talked about his team’s combination and how the experience of Sarfaraz Ahmed as a mentor can help the side to do well in the tournament.

“We have a well-balanced side going into the Champions One-Day Cup,” Saud told PCB Digital.

“The focus is on maintaining a strong combination of experienced players and young talent. This tournament provides an opportunity for the players to prove their mettle and impress the selectors to get selected for the national team.

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“Having Sarfaraz Ahmed in the team as a player and mentor is a massive boost for us. His insights and leadership on and off the field will help young players to develop their game.”

Talking about the importance of the inaugural edition of the tournament, Saud said: “This inaugural edition of the Champions One-Day Cup is going to be crucial for domestic cricket in Pakistan.

“It gives players a big stage to showcase their skills, especially in the 50-over format, which is vital with the upcoming international fixtures. The competition will be intense and it will provide fans to come in good amount to cherish their favourite players performances.”

Dolphine squad (to be trimmed to 15 on 10 September)

Saud Shakeel (captain, Karachi), Aftab Ibrahim (Karachi), Asif Ali (Faisalabad), Awais Ali (Gujranwala), Faheem Ashraf (Kasur), Kashif Ali (Rawalpindi), Mir Hamza (Karachi), Mohammad Huraira (Sialkot), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Peshawar), Muhammad Akhlaq (Kamoki), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (Karachi), Muhammad Riazullah (Peshawar), Noman Ali (Hyderabad), Qasim Akram (Lahore), Sameen Gul (Jamrud), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Karachi), Sahibzada Farhan (Peshawar), Sufiyan Moqim (Kotli), Umar Amin (Rawalpindi) and Usman Qadir (Lahore)

Mentor – Sarfaraz Ahmed

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RAWALPINDI: Pakistan vice-captain Saud Shakeel defended the decision to declare the innings while Mohammad Rizwan was nearing his maiden double-century on the second day of the opening Test against Bangladesh.

Rizwan missed out on a well-deserved double-century as Pakistan declared their first innings at 448/6.

He remained the top-scorer for the home side with an unbeaten 171 off 239 deliveries, laced up with 11 fours and three sixes, followed by Saud, who scored 141 with the help of nine boundaries.

Many fans raised their concern over social media regarding the timing of the declaration, however, Saud defended the decision. He explained that Rizwan was informed about the decision an hour before it was made.

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“As far as Rizwan bhai’s double century is concerned, I don’t think the decision to declare was rushed,” Shakeel stated.

“Rizwan bhai was informed about an hour before that we would be declaring at this point. He knew our target was to approach 450 runs before declaring.”

With his monumental knock, the 32-year-old Rizwan joined the elite group of Pakistani wicketkeepers who crossed the 150-run mark in Test cricket, which includes Imtiaz Ahmed, Taslim Arif, Rashid Latif, and Kamran Akmal.

This marks the first time since 2009 that a wicketkeeper-batsman from Pakistan has scored 150 runs in a single Test match.

READ: PCB announces free entry for remainder of first Pakistan-Bangladesh Test

Pakistan’s left-handed middle-order batter Saud Shakeel broke India’s Vinod Kambli’s long-standing record in the first innings of the opening Test against Bangladesh here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

The southpaw achieved the feat of accumulating the most number of runs by an Asian batter after 20 Test innings, going past India’s Kambli, who had 1,056 runs after as many innings.

Saud amassed the milestone when he breached the 90-run barrier amid his marathon knock against Bangladesh. Prior to this innings, he had 967 runs to his name in 19 outings.

Besides Saud Shakeel and Vinod Kambli, the only other batters to accumulate more than one thousand runs after 20 Test innings are India’s Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara and Pakistan’s Saeed Ahmed.

Overall, Saud Shakeel is 17th on the list of batters with the most Test runs after 20 innings, led by one of the greats to ever play the game, Don Bradman.

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The current part of the all-time elusive list are England’s Harry Brook with 1,181 runs and Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne, who scored 1,166.

Yesterday, Saud Shakeel also became the joint-fastest Pakistan batter to amass 1000 runs in Test cricket.

The 28-year-old joined Saeed Ahmed on the elusive list as both batters took 20 innings to achieve the milestone.

Sadiq Mohammad conceded 22 innings while legendary batter Javed Miandad took 23.

Whereas, Taufeeq Umar, Abdullah Shafique and Abid Ali, all took 24 innings to complete 1000 runs in Test cricket.

Fastest to 1000 Test Runs for Pakistan

Saud Shakeel: 20 Innings
Saeed Ahmed: 20 Innings
Sadiq Mohammad: 22 Innings
Javed Miandad: 23 Innings
Abid Ali: 24 Innings
Taufeeq Umar: 24 Innings
Abdullah Shafique: 24 Innings

Saud Shakeel achieved the milestone on the opening day of the first home Test against Bangladesh when he pulled Nahid Rana’s short-pitched delivery around leg for a single in the 25th over.

He needed just 33 runs as he had 967 runs in 19 innings at a heft average of 60.43, featuring two centuries and six half-centuries.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan joins elusive list with 150 against Bangladesh