Champions Cup – Pakistan – Shadab Khan – Long bowling spells gave confidence

“The main goal of our coaches and trainers was to improve the side,” he said at a press conference following the victory. “We wanted to give the youth an opportunity to develop and represent Pakistan in the future.”

Managing the team, Shadab’s all-round role in the Panthers’ victory was instrumental, as he picked up his second piece of silverware in 2024, six months after Islamabad United’s victory in the PSL. However, Shadab has endured a difficult year – particularly with the bat – in terms of form, although the past three weeks have given the man reason to smile as Pakistan’s golden boy. In the Champions Cup in Faisalabad, he contributed with bat or ball in all but the opening match.

The sad thing is that Shadab has found better control of the ball, putting more players in the right places – something he has struggled with in the past. He credited you with finding his rhythm, and wanted to keep working on it. Shadab said he will “play a lot of red ball games” this season.

“Individually, I need to improve more,” he admitted. “But things are getting better because I haven’t been throwing long balls recently. I threw long times in this tournament, and that gave me more confidence. But there is still a long time before I get to that level.”

Shadab also explained his broader philosophy – both for himself and the side he leads. “We wanted to focus on the process rather than the result. We are a nation of emotions – if we get results, we go very high, and if we don’t, we crash. We zigzag in this cycle of emotions. What we can control is our process, and that should be the level, not up and down. Even thinking about the result.”

“Ali Raza’s mentality defies his age. The way he bowls, I think he can be useful for the Pakistan team in the future.”

Shadab Khan is a 16-year-old Panthers fast bowler

However, the result took care of itself. After a good start for Markhors, Shadab and his bowlers began to falter in spectacular fashion, as Markhors’ final wickets were reduced to just 40 runs. Shadab took one of those wickets in the three overs he bowled, and with batting, batting and 14 not out from nine balls helped his side comfortably over the line, as the Panthers reached the wicket with 32 overs to spare.

Shadab didn’t think the field had too many demons in it, praising his team instead of bowling well. “I can’t think of a specific number to limit the opposition to,” he said. “I think we bowled very well to get them out cheaply. We wanted to put as much pressure on them as possible because that’s where the team makes mistakes, and that’s where you can take wickets in quick succession. In high-pressure games, it’s hard to build relationships.”

“Ali Raza’s mentality defies his age,” Shadab said. “The way he bowls, I think he can be useful for the Pakistan team in the future. We have to be careful with him because he is still young and his body is still fragile. That makes him vulnerable to injury.”

Shadab would know better than most the importance of giving young bowlers confidence. His breakthrough role under the national spotlight came at the age of 17 in 2017 before he played a key role in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy victory later that year. Islamabad, where Shadab played in the PSL, had enough faith in him to appoint a vice-captain at the age of 20, and a captain at the age of 21.

But while Shadab’s form with the ball has faltered for much of his career, his tactical abilities as a captain have rarely been questioned. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he doesn’t think youth is a barrier to success.

“We don’t have experience,” Shadab said sadly about the young average team in the Champions Cup, “but we won the tournament.”