Having played only 7 Test matches so far, Saud Shakeel has pocketed the accolades no one in the epochs-long history of cricket has ever done. While helping him bring glory to his country, these feats have also pushed the 27-year-old into the limelight. Resultantly, ever since his double hundred at the Galle Stadium, people have been applauding him for his immaculate understanding of the game. Some have even gone to the length of comparing him to those occupying the top tiers of the game and expecting him to reach the level of Virat, Babar, and other star players within the next few years.
What’s so Special About Saud?
It’s not his run-making ability that has made him rise through the ranks but the way he shoots those runs to the board. During the first Test match of Pakistan’s recently concluded Sri Lankan tour, he came in to bat at the point where not many youngsters, or for that matter even senior cricketers, would love to make an entry.
The Man of War and Peace
For Saud, this was nothing new. He had been churning out runs ever since he was handed the cap with a star on it by Sarfaraz Ahmed. His old-school skills were on show for the first time on the international stage against England. Since then he has been Pakistan’s man of war and peace, adeptly navigating the crises and knowing what to do when they conclude.
Will He Reach the Level of Virat and Babar?
Just recently, he has found himself in the news again. However, this time not for his exceptional talent but for the comparisons he was forced into.
Pakistan’s former wicket-keeper batsman, Kamran Akmal, while talking about Saud said that he counts him in the league of players like Babar Azam and Virat Kohli. In addition to that Akmal stated that he thinks the southpaw will sit amongst great players of the game within the next 3 to 4 years. The former stumper was quoted as saying,
“I am looking at Saud from a different angle. I am considering him in the league, which includes big names like Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, and other five to six players. He[Saud] should be reaching near these players in the next three to four years – given the performance he has showcased, particularly when the circumstances were difficult. So, this is a good sign for Pakistan cricket when any batsman displays excellent batting performance, that too at an early age in early Test cricket.”
The left-hander, who so far, has an average of 87.5 and has yet to play a Test match where he did not score 50 or more runs, has already been counted on by many to have numerous feathers in his cap by the time he hangs his boots. Despite his solid technique and impeccable game awareness, reaching the level of Virat, Babar, and others is still a hard row to hoe.
Is the level of Virat and Babar, and other greats of the game too High to Reach?
Funnily, cricket dances to its own peculiar rhythm. Both Babar Azam and Virat Kohli, often subjects of comparison whenever anyone scores myriads of runs, themselves got to a very placid start in their careers. The Pakistani skipper did not have a 7-match fifty streak, nor was Kohli’s average going through the roof during his early days.
| Matches | Runs | Avg | HS | 50 | 100 | 200 | |
| Babar Azam | 7 | 381 | 31.8 | 90 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Virat Kohli | 7 | 353 | 27.2 | 75 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Saud Shakeel | 7 | 875 | 87.5 | 208 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
What has made both of them great is how they have evolved their game, learned from mistakes, and amassed runs consistently. Whether the matches were played on their home turf or miles away from their country, both batters forced their willows to create miracles each time they came out to bat.
On top of all this, they maintained these performances over the years without fail, something not a lot of players are capable of doing. If the fans and pundits of the game are expecting the left-hander to be in the same boat as the aforementioned players, then he has a humongous task ahead of him to do. The task which expects him to be unflustered by the conditions and the opposition and keep on piling runs every time his feet touch the deck.
