Pakistan’s former spinner and coach, Taqleem Mashraq, has come to the defense of his son-in-law, Shadab Khan, and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz, stating that they were not used strategically in the T20 World Cup. Pakistan’s team lost to Sri Lanka in the Super Eight stage, despite winning their last match, and failed to qualify for the semi-finals.
Taqleem Mashraq appeared on a TV program, stating that the blame should not be solely placed on any one player. He explained that there are different types of all-rounders, including bowling all-rounders, batting all-rounders, and complete all-rounders. The PCB is currently investigating the legal complexities surrounding the issue.
Mashraq stated that the players who were selected had the potential in both batting and bowling, but were not used in a strategic manner. He revealed that when he was with the team, the selection committee made it clear that Shadab and Nawaz were equally skilled in both batting and bowling, but their performance depended on their usage. If they were given better opportunities, the results could have been different.
Mashraq compared Pakistan’s situation with other international teams, citing the examples of New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner and India’s R Ashwin. He stated that the head coach, Mike Hesson, had high expectations from Shadab and Nawaz in both batting and bowling, and did not use them strategically.
It is worth noting that Shadab Khan’s performance in the T20 World Cup did not meet expectations, as he took 5 wickets in 6 matches, conceded 152 runs, and scored 118 runs with the bat. Pakistan will tour Bangladesh in May to play 2 Test matches, which will be part of the ICC World Test Championship 2027.
In other news, Pakistan’s speedster, Zeeshan Ali, topped the list of Pakistani runners in the marathon, completing the course in 2 hours 40 minutes and 9 seconds. Pakistan will play a series against Bangladesh in Dhaka from March 11 to 15.
The 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is set to begin on March 26 in Lahore. Pakistan will tour Bangladesh in May to play 2 Test matches, which will be part of the ICC World Test Championship 2027.
In a separate incident, the Indian team’s practice session was delayed by an hour due to the lunar eclipse. The team’s some members claimed that the eclipse was a bad omen for them.
Meanwhile, the Turkish government has confirmed that there were no casualties in the incident where a missile fragment fell in the Turkish city, near the Mediterranean Sea. Three US officials have reportedly told the British news agency that the US military had targeted an Iranian warship near Sri Lanka.
In a shocking revelation, the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence officials have reportedly expressed willingness to negotiate with the CIA for the cessation of the war. According to the New York Times, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence officials have indicated their readiness to negotiate with the CIA.
The Iranian warship, Al-Abed, was reportedly targeted by the US military in the Indian Ocean. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has announced that the funeral procession of Ayatollah Khamenei will be delayed due to administrative issues.
The US President, Donald Trump, has stated that he does not care if Iran participates in the 2026 World Cup.
