Australia and Pakistan square off in a pivotal contest in the 18th game of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. For both sides in their pursuit of tournament success, the game is of utmost importance.
During the toss, Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, made an unexpected announcement, choosing to bowl first and declaring the exclusion of Shadab Khan, who has been out of form and has made little contribution to the squad. Pundits and team managers were critical of Shadab’s current performance downturn, which dates back to the Asia Cup.
Usama Mir has been added to the starting XI in lieu of the Pakistan Vice-Captain. Usama Mir, who starred in the ODI World Cup warm-up matches for 2023 with four wickets in two games and had a successful season with the Manchester Originals in The Hundred, joins the team as a crucial acquisition.
The ball struggle Shadab Khan had goes back to haunt him.
The vice-captain of Pakistan has improved greatly with the willow, but it appears that his bowling has suffered as a result of his increased batting skill. With a meager total of 15 wickets amassed throughout 14 games in 2023, Shadab’s bowling statistics show a fairly muted performance. Both fans and detractors have questioned the balance between his two roles in cricket given his average, which is a somewhat raised 42.60, and his somewhat prodigal economy rate of 5.72.
His two wickets in three games during the ODI World Cup 2023 are modest, which raises questions. His most recent effort in the competition, against India’s longtime rivals, was very unimpressive, with figures of 0-31 from his allotted four overs.
His valiant performance against the “Minnows” Nepal during the Asia Cup of 2023, where he was able to secure four key wickets, stands out as the lone bright spot in this current performance graph.
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