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Pak run-machine Shakeel best batter among Asians!

August 23, 2024 11:46 IST

With an average of 65.17, he is only second behind Don Bradman.

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel scored his 3rd Test century during  the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Thursday 

IMAGE: Pakistan's Saud Shakeel scored his 3rd Test century during the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Thursday. Photographs: ICC/X

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel's continued his good run in Test cricket, scoring a century in the opening Test against Bangladesh at Rawalpindi, on Thursday.

 

Shakeel smashed 141 in 261 balls, a composed knock that was inclusive of nine well-placed fours and the runs came at a strike rate of 54.02.

The century saw his Test average rise to 65.17 the second-highest among current Test batters who have played a minimum of 10 innings.

According to ICC, his batting average is higher than batting greats like Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli.

In a list of batters with a minimum of 20 innings played, Shakeel is at 2nd spot, only trumped by the legendary Australian batter Donald Bradman, who boasts of a brilliant average of 99.94.

With batters who have scored 1000 runs, Shakeel has the best Batting Average among modern dayTest batters.

99.94 - Donald Bradman (6996 Runs) 

68.53 - Yashasvi Jaiswal (1028 Runs) 

65.17 - Saud Shakeel (1108 Runs)

63.05 - Sid Barnes (1072 Runs)

61.87 - Adam Voges (1485 Runs)

Saud Shakeel stats 

In 20 innings, Shakeel has completed his 1,000 runs in Tests, equalling Saeed Ahmed's record to become the joint-fastest Pakistan batter to reach the milestone. Both completed this milestone in 11 Tests and 20 innings.

In 11 Tests and 20 innings, the Pakistani vice-captain has scored 1,108 runs at an average of 65.17, with best score of 208*. He has scored three centuries and six fifties in his brief, but extremely promising Test career so far.

Shakeel has the most runs by an Asian batter in the first 20 Test innings -- the other Asian players having reached 1,000 runs or more in this span are Mayank Agarwal (India), Saeed Ahmed (Pakistan), Cheteshwar Pujara (India), Yashasvi Jaiswal (India) and Vinod Kambli (India).

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