"I was struggling": Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan

Shadab Khan (Pic: File Pic)

Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan opened up on his struggle to deliver performances with the bat and ball in international cricket.

Shadab Khan is enjoying his debut in Lankan Premier League Season 5 with Colombo Strikers. In the match against Kandy Falcons, the all-rounder claimed a hat-trick and has bagged 16 wickets which is the most by any bowler so far this season.

As the LPL caravan moved from Dambulla to Colombo, Shadab picked up his third four-wicket haul of the tournament against the Jaffna Kings at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.

As Shadab Khan continues to rewrite record books, he opened up about his struggle to deliver for the Pakistan team.

Also Read: SL vs IND T20I series: Pandya to lead India against Sri Lanka, Gill or Suryakumar in the running for vice-captaincy

"I was struggling for three months. I hadn't taken a wicket in the last seven international games. I came here, started bowling and am now always taking wickets. That is the beauty of cricket. You have to enjoy these types of scenarios as well... sometimes you perform, sometimes you don't. But the process that you follow has to be consistent," Shadab said, as quoted from a press release by LPL.

Shadab recalled his first outing in the league and expressed that the pitch was helpful for spinners. But he went on to add that a T20 bowler requires variations to be successful across conditions.

"The pitch was helping us as it was a bit slow and gripping a bit... But T20 cricket is very hard nowadays, as 200 is easily changeable. As a spinner, you have to have your variations because on flat tracks, if you don't have variations, you can go for runs. But if you have variation, you can take wickets as well as contain runs. So that is very important, and it is also important that you land it in a good area," Shadab added.

Shadab Khan further stated that his intention is to contribute to all departments of the game as an all-rounder for Colombo Strikers.

"I am performing for my team, and that is a good sign. I am the main bowler, and if I am taking wickets, that is a positive sign for me and my team. I want to contribute in all three phases. So far, I am contributing in two as a bowler and fielder. Hopefully, I can contribute with the bat too," Shadab concluded.

(With ANI Inputs)