A lot can be expected from Shadab Khan in the future: Sarfaraz Ahmed

Pakistan skipper in the limited overs format, Sarfaraz Ahmed has hailed leg-spinner, Shadab Khan after the youngster bagged the Man of the Match award in his debut match against the Caribbean. Sarfaraz is hopeful that Shadab will achieve great success in the future years after his match-winning performance.

The teenage sensation bagged 3 Caribbean wickets in the opening encounter of the 4 match T20I series. The 18-year-old conceded only 7 runs in his allotted 4 overs and was immaculate with his line and length and variations. His spell was instrumental in restricting West Indies to 112. Later Pakistan chased down the target with utmost comfort with former captain Shoaib Malik top scoring with 38 of 29 deliveries.

In the video message for Pakistan cricket, Sarfaraz said, “The first match of any series is important and thanks to Almighty we won it.” He was also in full praise of his bowlers who restricted West Indies to a manageable score. “I would like to give credit to the bowlers. Imad [Wasim] gave us a great start, then Shadab, followed by our pacers Wahab [Riaz] and Hasan [Ali] who bowled really well. Especially Wahab, the two overs he bowled against the wind, it was quite difficult to bowl in those conditions.”

He congratulated Shadab for the match winning performance and made it clear why it was so important for the leggie to perform so well in his debut match. “The way Shadab bowled, it was his first match and he deserves a lot of praise for that. I think it would be a big day for him and his family because he represented Pakistan today for the first time and was the man of the match. I congratulate him and his family.”

He also added that with such a bright performance in his debut match, a lot can be expected from the youngster in the future matches. “This is a good sign for his career. He bowled superbly in the first match he played and helped Pakistan bag a win with his leg-spin. I am hopeful that he will achieve much more in the future.”

The 2nd match of the series will be played on Thursday. Following the T20I series, both teams will be competing in a 3 match ODI series followed by as many Tests.