Following Pakistan’s emphatic victory over Namibia to secure their place in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup, star all-rounder Shadab Khan has made a bold statement regarding the team’s ultimate ambitions. While fans and analysts remain fixated on Pakistan’s narrow 61-run defeat to India earlier in the tournament, Shadab insists that the squad has moved past the domestic rivalry to focus on the global prize.
Reframing the Tournament Narrative
The loss to India in Colombo sparked intense scrutiny of Pakistan’s tactical decisions and individual player contributions. However, Shadab Khan has called for a shift in perspective. “There’s a lot of talk about one game (India) we should have won, but our goal is to win the trophy we’re focusing on that,” Shadab stated emphatically. For the Pakistani vice-captain, the singular focus on the India fixture is a distraction from the larger mission of securing their second T20 World Cup title.
Shadab also noted a spiritual shift in the team’s momentum as the tournament progresses. With the holy month of Ramadan beginning during the business end of the competition, he expressed a sense of divine support. “Ramadan is here, and now we have our 12th man with us in super 8,” he added with a smile, suggesting that the team’s morale is at an all-time high.
Addressing the Critics
Shadab himself has not been immune to the backlash following the India game, where his bowling was targeted by the Indian middle order. Responding to the wave of criticism from former players and media outlets, Shadab was blunt about the nature of his slump.
“Since I came back to Pakistan I had one bad over with the ball, and all of this is happening because of that. I don’t perform justify myself to them but it was just a bad day,” he explained. The all-rounder’s performance against Namibia served as a swift rebuttal to his critics, where he claimed a three-wicket haul for just 19 runs and contributed a vital 36 runs with the bat, proving his immense value as a dual-threat player.
Momentum from the Namibia Victory
Pakistan entered the Super 8s on the back of a dominant 102-run win over Namibia. The match saw Sahibzada Farhan score a historic century, but it was the collective effort of the bowling unit, including Shadab and the unorthodox Usman Tariq, that bundled Namibia out for 97. This victory successfully erased the threat of an early exit and allowed Pakistan to leapfrog the USA in the group standings.
The Super 8 Road Ahead
Pakistan now enters Group 2 of the Super 8s, where they will face a demanding schedule against high-quality opposition in Sri Lanka. The fixtures are as follows:
February 21: vs New Zealand (R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
February 24: vs England (Pallekele Stadium, Kandy)
February 28: vs Sri Lanka (Pallekele Stadium, Kandy)
With the “luxury of spinners” and a revitalized middle order, Shadab Khan and his teammates are determined to prove that their journey is defined by the trophy at the end, not the setbacks at the beginning. As the tournament shifts back to the spin-friendly tracks of Kandy and Colombo, Shadab’s ability to absorb pressure will be the key to Pakistan’s aspirations of world dominance.
