Saud Shakeel opens up on Pakistan's 'positive and aggressive' blueprint for Melbourne Test

In a recent blow to Pakistan, fast bowler Khurram Shahzad has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against Australia due to a stress fracture and an abdominal muscle tear.

Expressing sympathy for Shahzad's unfortunate injury, left-handed batter Saud Shakeel shared his thoughts on potential alternatives for the team. He mentioned,

"He bowled really well, he had a big job coming here. I'm really sad for him that he got injured, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.

Acknowledging the inherent challenges of the game, Shakeel added, "That's part of the game. We have a couple of other bowlers as well – Mir Hamza and Hasan Ali – and they can get good wickets in this Melbourne Test."

Shakeel, the stylish batter who faced the demanding conditions in the first Test and scored 28 and 24, stressed the significance of a more positive batting approach. Encouraging the team to take on an aggressive approach, he underscored the importance of executing attacking shots to score runs and apply pressure on the opposition.

"We just need to be more positive with our batting approach and just play some attacking shots to get runs and put them under pressure," said Shakeel.

Turning his attention to the Melbourne surface for the upcoming match, Shakeel expressed optimism, stating that in contrast to the bouncy Perth surface, the Melbourne pitch is anticipated to be more conducive to batting.

"The Perth pitch has got the maximum bounce. I think this pitch will suit us … The matches in Melbourne I've seen, it's not (as) hard to bat on,” he said.

Acknowledging the formidable Australian bowling attack and acknowledging the mental challenges that come with playing in their home conditions, Shakeel emphasised the team's collective responsibility to step up to the challenge and score runs on the board so that bowlers could get something to bowl.

"When you come to Australia, they've got good experience, they have a quality attack. When you're playing in their home conditions, it's more of a mental challenge than physical. As a team, we have to go out there and score runs," he concluded.