Shadab Khan opens up on Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis’ resignation from Pakistan coaching roles

Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan has put forth his comments on head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis resigning from their roles in the national team. The 47-year-old Misbah was clear cut in stating that staying a considerable amount of time away from family due to the COVID-19 hassles prompted him to take the decision.

Younis mentioned that since he and Misbah started at the same time, quitting at the same time made more relevance to him. On their resignation, Shadab refrained from making any opinions, saying that it’s their “personal decision”. However, the youngster admitted that Pakistan cricket is a bit of a turmoil after Misbah and Younis bid goodbye.

Shadab Khan opines

“It [decision to step down] was their [Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis] personal decision and I cannot comment on that. But it is not an ideal situation. Our focus is on doing the things that are in our control in the right manner,” Shadab was quoted as saying in a virtual press conference on Thursday, September 9.

Later in September, Pakistan are scheduled to arrive in New Zealand for a full-fledged bilateral series. To fill in the voids created by Misbah and Younis, the Pakistan Cricket Board has appointed Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq as interim coaches.

Shadab said that the Pakistan team has set its goals clear for the upcoming edition of the World Cup in the UAE. He said that letting negativity sneak in may hamper the team environment ahead of the mega event.

“We don’t want to think about what-ifs of the situation. With the world cup approaching, our focus is to prepare ourselves for it. If we think about it then it can bring negativity in the team,” he stated.

Recently, Pakistan travelled to England for a T20I and ODI series. In the 50-overs format, they lost 0-0-3 despite the Brits not having their first-choice squad. Thereafter, they won the opening T20I in Nottingham only to lose the next two matches and lose the series.

Pakistan’s campaign in the World Cup starts with their game against Virat Kohli’s India on October 24 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.