Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden spoke highly of Pakistan’s Shadab Khan, comparing him to Ravindra Jadeja in terms of skill set. Hayden, who has worked closely with Pakistan players as a batting coach, acknowledged Shadab’s contributions as a standout performer for his team. Shadab, who has also captained Pakistan in the absence of Babar Azam, excels in all three aspects of the game, showcasing effective spin bowling, reliable batting, and excellent fielding. Hayden also praised Shadab’s exceptional qualities and described him as a three-dimensional player. Similar to Jadeja, who is currently one of the best players in the game.
“Shadab Khan is a fantastic player. He is an individual of absolute quality. Like Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja), he is a three-dimensional cricketer,”
Hayden said.
“He is a dangerous hitter with the bat. And has got the variations with the ball and he is also a wonderful fielder, and just one further point around this — you win World Cups by fielding efforts,”
he further added.
Fielding makes a big difference in tournament cricket: Matthew Hayden
According to Matthew Hayden, players like Jadeja and Shadab are crucial in major tournaments like the World Cup. Hayden emphasized the importance of fielding in such events, as it has the potential to impact game outcomes. The former opener furthermore mentioned Australia’s impressive history in ODI World Cups, specifically highlighting their exceptional fielding abilities.
“They are the little things that you don’t see, that make a big difference in tournament cricket. Under pressure, those catches around the boundaries, those specially unique run-outs that happen. They are the things that will never really be statistically noted in the World Cup. That’s why sides like Australia are really dangerous. Because they combine really well under pressure in the one thing. An element of cricket which is the most selfless, and that’s effort in the field,”
Hayden concluded.
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