Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez thinks that all-rounder Shadab Khan should play as the batting all-rounder instead of playing as a bowling all-rounder.
The 25-year-old Shadab is the captain of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Islamabad United where he has batted up the order on a few occasions.
He has scored 278 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 145.54 with the help of three fifties.
While talking to a local sports channel, Hafeez emphasised that Shadab is the one who can solve Pakistan's middle-order problems.
"Shadab stands as the sole hope and we need to boost his confidence as he possesses batting abilities."
"We should utilise him as a batting all-rounder rather than primarily a bowling all-rounder," he added.
Hafeez mentioned that apart from Iftikhar Ahmed, no other batter has performed well while batting lower down the order.
"Pakistan still has a problem in middle-order. Currently, the players performing in PSL are either openers or at No.3," he maintained.
Earlier, Misbah-ul-Haq also named Shadab among his potential assets to strengthen Pakistan's middle-order batting lineup at the 2024 T20 World Cup.
"Potentially the names I'm seeing are simple. Agha Salman is there, Azam Khan is there, Iftikhar Ahmed is there, and Shadab Khan is there. Regarding Fakhar, you're already thinking about him," Misbah said.
It must be noted that the T20 World Cup 2024 is slated to commence on June 1, 2024, with the USA and West Indies serving as co-hosts. The eagerly awaited match between Pakistan and India is scheduled for June 9 at Eisenhower Park in New York.
Meanwhile, prior to the World Cup, the Men in Green are in line to play 12 T20Is. They host New Zealand for five T20Is in Pakistan while they travel to Ireland and England for three and four T20Is respectively.