Former Pakistan fast bowler Abdur Rauf has spoken in support of leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed.
Speaking on Samaa TV programme 'Zor Ka Jor', Rauf said Pakistan had played Abrar Ahmed regularly over the past year and had also given opportunities to Sufiyan Muqeem. He said that with Shadab Khan’s return to the Pakistan side, it would be necessary to see where he fits into the team combination. Rauf said the key question now was whether Shadab would come into the side in place of Mohammad Nawaz or Abrar Ahmed. He stressed that Abrar Ahmed is a specialist spinner on whom the entire Pakistan team would rely. He said that if Abrar were left out, Pakistan would have no chance in the T20I series against Sri Lanka.
The former fast bowler said that only one of Nawaz or Shadab would play. He added that it would be important to assess whether Shadab Khan could complete his full bowling quota, adding that his batting remained satisfactory.
Rauf said that whether it was the 2024 T20 World Cup or the 2023 World Cup, Shadab Khan had not delivered consistent performances.
