LAHORE – 27-year-old Saud Shakeel has become the first batter in Test cricket history to make fifty plus scores in each of his first seven matches.
Elegant left handed batsman achieved the milestone on the third day of Colombo Test on Wednesday.
Soon after getting back to back boundaries against fast bowler Asitha Fernando, Saud Shakeel departed with the individual score of 57 on 110 balls with the help of six boundaries but not before setting a new record in Test cricket.
First batter in Test history to make a 5️⃣0️⃣+ score in each of his first 7️⃣ matches 🤩
Mr Consistent @saudshak 🫡#SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/BKDPYOMIO6
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 26, 2023
Saud had already made his presence felt in international cricket by scoring runs against top sides like England and New Zealand at home and against Sri Lanka on spinners friendly tracks.
Man of the match of Galle Test, Saud Shakeel had also become the first Pakistani batsman to score a double hundred in Sri Lanka.
In Colombo test, Abdullahj Shafique has become the second Pakistani batsman and the first opener to score a double ton.
In a short Test career spanning less than a year, Karachi-born left-handed middle-order batsman has the highest average among current players who have played 12 innings or more.
If we consider all players, he is only behind legendary Australian batsman Sir Don Bradman.
Now Saud Shakeel is averaging 87.5 in 13 innings of seven test matches, only behind Sir Don Bradman, who achieved an eye-catching average of 99.94 at the conclusion of his illustrious career.
Going even close to that average is a dream but Saud Shakeel missed the golden opportunity of surpassing the 100 mark in Galle Test.
He only needed to remain not out in the fourth inning of the Galle Test but the real team man opted for playing aggressive cricket for securing a much needed victory for Pakistan.
Despite that, he is way ahead of leading current players. Steve Smith is next in line with the average of 58.83.
Born on September 5, 1995, Saud has been known for elegant batting style and ability to anchor an inning.
He possessed good technique and temperament to build long innings.
He made his Test debut against England in December 2022. He captained Pakistan at the 2014 U-19 World Cup.
