Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan said that the team is in a positive mindset during the T20 World Cup 2026 and is gaining strength from the beginning of Ramzan. After the match win over Namibia, Shadab described the holy month as Pakistan’s “12th man”, saying it had boosted the team’s morale.
Pakistan booked their place in the Super 8s with a 102-run win over Namibia in their final group-stage match, a result that also ended the United States’ (USA) qualification hopes. When Pakistan’s defeat was necessary to keep the United States in the race, Salman Ali Aga’s team performed brilliantly.
Our 12th man is still with us – Shadab Khan on Ramzan
Shadab Khan was asked a question about the changes in the team after Shaheen Afridi was out and Babar Azam did not bat against Namibia. He said that the team is only focusing on what it can control and added that the start of Ramzan has boosted the team’s morale.
“At the end of the day, you can only control certain things, so you should focus on controlling those,” Shadab said in a press conference on Wednesday (February 18). He said, “And now Ramzan has started, our 12th man is already with us.”
Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic lunar calendar for Muslims around the world. During this month, people fast from dawn to sunset every day, starting with an early morning meal called suhoor and ending the fast with iftar at sunset.
We just have to keep doing good work – Shadab Khan
Shadab Khan said that the team will continue with the work it is already doing. He said that the opening batsmen have given a strong start in almost every match. Shadab said Pakistan wants the batting unit to perform well, while the bowlers need to continue to hit the right areas with consistency.
“It’s simple, we just have to keep doing the good things that we are doing. Our openers are giving us good starts in almost every match,” Shadab said.
“Sahabzada’s form has been fantastic, and whenever a batsman stands up in those conditions and scores 70-plus, it takes you above par. As a batting unit, we need to continue that. In bowling, we need to keep hitting the right areas consistently.”
We could have won that too – Shadab Khan on India match
The all-rounder said that Pakistan has the right bowling combination. He said that had the team played to its full potential, it could have beaten India on Sunday, but said the focus now is on moving forward and staying on track.
“We have Usman (Tariq) and Abrar (Ahmed), two mystery spinners. Saeem (Ayub) is bowling well, (Mohammed) Nawaz is there and I am also there. It is a good combination along with the fast bowlers. I think we are on the right track,” Shadab said.
“We have talked a lot about the last match. I know it was a big match and we did not perform as per expectations. But if we had played to our full potential, we could have won that too. Still, it is part of the game. We will continue to focus on our main goal,” he said.
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