ISLAMABAD: Lahore Qalandars’ top-order batter Abdullah Shafique believes that associating any player with a specific format is not the best approach.
The batter said while speaking to the media on the sidelines of Qalandars’ practice session at Islamabad Club that the fundamentals of cricket do not change with the format and that a player only needs to make minor adjustments based on the situation.
Abdullah Shafique believes it is incorrect to associate players with formats in the PSL 2023.
“Regardless of the format, your fundamentals remain the same. It is incorrect to state that a specific player is only suitable for one format. “We need to see how a player is putting in effort and doing his hard work,” he said.
“In T20s, you need to have a higher strike rate, which I believe I have. “I’m not doing it to please anyone else; I’m doing it for my own satisfaction,” the top-order batter explained.
The 23-year-old is regarded as a red-ball specialist, having appeared in 12 Test matches for Pakistan, scoring 992 runs at an average of 47.23.
Despite playing three T20Is and one ODI for the national team, he did not get much white-ball experience.
Abdullah has 75, 45, 15, and 48 points for Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023.
“I’m happy with my performance and even happier because my team is winning; we’re the first team to qualify for the playoff stage, which is a great feeling,” he said.
“Shaheen has been fantastic as a team leader; he keeps everyone gelled together and motivated even if one is unable to perform so that confidence does not shake,” Abdullah said.
Abdullah stated that he tries to learn new things in every match and training session and aims to adopt practices that will help him learn things that will be beneficial in the future.
He stated that Fakhar Zaman and Sam Billings are two flamboyant batsmen from whom he seeks advice.
In response to a question, Abdullah stated that while everyone has personal goals in every tournament, the most important is to contribute to the team’s success.
“I try to play in accordance with my team’s needs and contribute more and more to the team’s success,” he explained.
“We have momentum, and we will try to carry it into the remaining matches,” the top-order batter said.
Having top bowlers like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Rashid Khan in the same dressing room, according to Abdullah, is a blessing.
“While as a professional you must be prepared to face any bowler, any batter in the world would prefer to avoid facing such bowlers,” Abdullah concluded.