We Needed to Play for Pakistan's Pride: Shadab Khan
Shadab's first assignment as Pakistan skipper ended in series loss [Twitter]
In the third T20I match between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Men in Green, led by stand-in captain Shadab Khan, managed to avoid a clean sweep by beating the Rashid Khan-led side by 66 runs.
Shadab expressed the team's desire to play for Pakistan's pride and finish the series on a high note. The team adeptly adapted to the conditions and posted a score of 182/7, thanks to Saim Ayub's cautious innings and the skipper's rapid 28 runs off just 17 balls. Pakistan's bowlers, headed by Shadab and Ihsanullah, then restricted Afghanistan to just 116, dismissing them in 18.4 overs.
Shadab, who was named Player of the Match, stated that the team had aimed to end the series on a high note and that they had achieved their objective.
"We wanted to finish on a high note and we have done that. We had to adapt to the conditions and the batsmen managed to do that," said Shadab.
The 24-year-old also emphasized that the primary purpose of the series was to provide opportunities to the younger players, who could gain confidence from the experience, and that it would benefit them in the future.
“We needed to play for Pakistan's pride and we did it. The main motive of this series was to give the youngsters a chance, hopefully, they will get confidence from these matches and it will help them in the long run," concluded the stand-in skipper.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Nabi of Afghanistan, who was named ‘Player of the Series’, acknowledged the challenging conditions in which the first two games were played. He expressed his satisfaction with his individual performance, having contributed with both bat and ball, and his joy at regaining form after a prolonged period of struggle.
 "Jatin")
