Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel has just taken his Test batting average up to 65.17 in an amazing show of batting. This puts him just under the legendary Donald Bradman on the all-time list and ahead of many modern greats like Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Virat Kohli. He did that in the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi when he played with so much eloquence.
Saud Shakeel’s Big Performance
During the first Test of the home series against Bangladesh, Shakeel was able to score a brilliant 141 off 261 deliveries. The innings included nine well-timed boundaries, and he returned to the pavilion with a strike rate of 54.02. This century went a long way in shoring up his batting average and established him among the best Test batters in the world. With these innings, Shakeel’s Test batting average has jumped to 65.17. This is the second-highest average among current Test players who have played at least 10 innings. Shakeel’s statistics are better than those of famous players like Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Virat Kohli, according to ICC stats.
In the all-time averages for players who have played at least 20 innings, Shakeel sits at number two, just behind Donald Bradman. The great man managed an average of 99.94, but Shakeel’s average until now underscores the platform he was on.
Saud Shakeel Milestones Achieved
Saud Shakeel has now reached 1,108 runs in just 11 Tests and 20 innings. This now puts him level with Saeed Ahmed as the fastest Pakistani batter to get to 1,000 runs. Of these 11 Tests innings, Shakeel has smashed three centuries, and six fifties to show that he has had a good start to life in Test cricket. In his initial 20 innings, Shakeel got the most runs by any Asian batter. Some other players who have crossed 1000 runs in that time include Mayank Agarwal, Saeed Ahmed, Cheteshwar Pujara, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Vinod Kambli.
In the Test match against Bangladesh, Pakistan was in early trouble, struggling at 16/3 with key batters, including skipper Babar Azam, out for a duck. Shakil’s determination and a brilliant partnership with Saim Ayub, scoring 98 runs, managed to yank the innings back to the balance.
Saud Shakeel then partnered with Mohammed Rizwan to score 240 runs. Coupled with a blistering cameo from Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan reached 448/6. Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam were the principal performers with the ball for Bangladesh, who managed to keep things quite tight against a strong Pakistan team. By the end of day two, Bangladesh was at 34/1, and their only loss can be considered a minor one. Anyway, the series was closely contested so far, and this was the one performance most talked about.
Looking Forward
Rise in batting averages and record-breaking feats such as Shakeel’s guide towards a glittering future. His form is a real boost for Pakistan cricket and sets very high expectations to look forward to. Recent performances by Saud Shakeel have raised his level in Test cricket to one of the top batsmen in the world. Inching past players like Steve Smith and closer to being legendary in the status of Bradman is no small feat. With continued form, Shakeel might be cementing his name among the very best in the game of cricket ever.
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