South Africa vs Pakistan: Sharjeel Khan asked to shed weight to be eligible for selection

Pakistan batsman Sharjeel Khan found a place for himself in the Pakistan squad for the four-match T20I series against South Africa, starting from April 10, 2021, at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. He last featured in an international game for Pakistan in January 2017 and was out of favor after he was found guilty in the match-fixing scandal during PSL 2017.

Sharjeel earned a call for the T20I squad after a stunning performance in the now-postponed 2021 edition of the Pakistan Super League. The southpaw was the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament with 200 runs to his name in 5 games at an astonishing strike-rate of 170.94.

In addition, he was the only player to score a hundred before the tournament came to a halt. Though the opener has been successful in earning a call for the T20I squad, he will have to work hard to find a place for himself in the playing XI against South Africa.

It is learned that the management including the head coach Misbah-ul-Haq isn’t happy with Sharjeel’s fitness as he weighs a whopping 112 kilos. Reports suggest that the team is ‘unwilling to compromise’ on fitness standards. Thus, the 31-year-old has been asked to work hard and improve his fitness by shedding some weight if he wants to play for Pakistan again according to ESPNCricinfo.

I agree his fitness isn’t great but we will bring him up to the mark: Babar Azam

While the other players are playing the intra-squad warm-up matches at the Gaddafi stadium as a part of the training camp, the left-hander has been left out and has been provided with a personal trainer to help him train till the T20I series against South Africa.

Amidst all the talks regarding the fitness of Sharjeel Khan, the Pakistan skipper Babar Azam asserted that one should not only consider the physical fitness of the player as the opener is in a scintillating form and is capable of totally changing the game.

“I agree his fitness isn’t great but we will bring him up to the mark. His form right now can help us and he is one of the best openers. I have played with him in Karachi Kings and he can take away the pressure and totally change the game. We are working on his fitness and you will see a difference. I never asked for him in ODIs but for T20 cricket, which is a short format, you can adjust,” Azam had earlier said of Sharjeel’s selection.