Ravi Shastri expressed worry about Pakistan’s outlook in the upcoming 2023World Cup due to the absence of Naseem Shah, who is sidelined due toinjury.
He remarked, “Without Naseem Shah, Pakistan’s strength takes a hit.” In hisquest for insights on Pakistan’s spin department, Shastri pointed out asignificant decline in spin quality compared to the past, saying, “Thequality of spin bowling in Pakistan has declined considerably compared toyour era.”
Harbhajan Singh agreed with Shastri’s assessment and highlighted theillustrious spinners of the past like Saqlain Mushtaq, Saeed Ajmal, andShahid Afridi. He criticized Shadab Khan’s bowling mindset, emphasizingthat Shadab seems content with conceding fifty or sixty runs without takingwickets. According to Harbhajan, such a mindset is detrimental to aspinner’s ability to contribute significantly to the team’s success.
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He commented, “Certainly, they used to have spin legends like SaqlainMushtaq, Saeed Ajmal, and Shahid Afridi. Shadab looks promising, butrecently, he hasn’t been at his best. He seems satisfied with giving awayfifty or sixty runs without taking wickets. When you have that mindset as aspinner, you won’t win games for your team. I believe Pakistan’s spinstrength isn’t what it used to be.”
