Shadab Khan Can Potentially Be Pakistan's Next Captain: Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan, former England captain, reckons that spin-bowling all-rounder Shadab Khan could potentially be the next captain of the Pakistan team.

Shadab Khan scored a brilliant 45 in the first Test at Old Trafford besides also claiming two wickets but he was dropped from the playing XI for the second Test at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton as Pakistan went with Fawad Alam in a bid to bolster their batting-unit.

Fawad Alam was making a comeback after a hiatus of 11 years but his comeback did not prove to be a fairytale as he was dismissed for a four-ball duck.

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Is Shadab Khan the next Pakistan captain? Michael Vaughan certainly thinks so

With the incumbent skipper Azhar Ali under a considerable amount of pressure, thanks to his own poor form with the bat and the teams’ heartbreaking defeat in the first Test, murmurs in the cricketing folklore have already started about the former opener’s potential replacement as Test skipper. Former captain Wasim Akram even suggested that PCB might replace Ali if Pakistan fail to make a comeback in the series.

Hailing Shadab Khan as a ‘cricket thinker’, Michael Vaughan said the right-arm leg-spinner is a brilliant all-round cricket who, he thinks will potentially get more runs than Fawad Alam besides taking a wicket or two with his leg-spin and creating chances in the field courtesy his fielding.

“For me Shadab Khan is a wonderful cricketer. I think Shadab Khan can potentially be the next captain of Pakistan. When you have got a batsman like Shadab Khan, who has actually scored decent runs in England. He can bowl leg-spinners, he is a brilliant fielder, great in the team bubble and a cricket thinker,” Michael Vaughan told CricBuzz.

“With Shadab Khan, I can pretty much guarantee that he will potentially get more runs than Fawad (Alam), bowl leg-spin, take a catch or two, create a run-out and be a great team player. I’m bit confused by that selection.” he added.

Pakistan, meanwhile, is struggling in the second Test. After having stitched a 72-run-stand for the second wicket, the visitors lost their last four wickets for a mere 48 runs before rain brought an early close to the day’s proceedings.

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