LAHORE
\nUsama Mir has expressed his support for Shadab Khan in the face of mounting criticism directed at the Pakistani leg-spinner due to his recent underwhelming performances.
\nShadab\u2019s performance in the Asia Cup 2023 raised concerns as he managed to secure only six wickets, with four of them coming against Nepal, averaging 40.83 across five matches.
\nIn a statement posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), Usama conveyed his gratitude to the dedicated fans who support the Pakistani cricket team. However, he highlighted the need for support to be a consistent two-way street, especially during challenging times.
\n\u201cTo our dear fans, thank you for your support wherever we are in the World. It truly means a lot,\u201d Mir wrote.
\n\u201cBut support should be a two-way thing. In good times everyone praises us. And then as soon as we have a few bad games we are the worst cricketers of all time and nobody is with us. This really hurts. We need your support more in the bad times than in the good.
\n\u201cThe most important thing I\u2019d like to say is that 1-2 matches don\u2019t define a cricketer. If Shadab Khan doesn\u2019t perform in a few games, he\u2019s not a bad cricketer. Now everyone is saying he\u2019s in the team due to \u2018friendship\u2019 and other stuff. It is nonsense. I\u2019ve seen first-hand how he and the rest train. We give our 100% effort. Now if Shadab performs in the next game, all of a sudden, he is the greatest etc etc? We need to stop being so reactionary as fans.\u201d
\nDrawing from his own experiences, Usama pointed out how fans had praised him during his successful cricket journey but quickly turned critical after a few average performances.
\n\u201cWhen I debuted for Pakistan, everyone was hyping me up. I had a great year from National T20, to the Pakistan Cup, to the PSL, to the T20 Blast, to the Hundred and also the New Zealand ODI series. After 1\/2 average games vs Afghanistan suddenly I\u2019m an average bowler and don\u2019t deserve to be in the side? This is crazy,\u201d he said.
\nUsama also urged fans to refrain from unnecessary criticism, as it can have a detrimental impact on players.
\n\u201cI think we need to stop this unnecessary criticism. It does have an impact on players. The management and captain put in tremendous effort for Pakistan\u2019s success. And I am confident we will find it,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re going through a slight tough time at the moment but I\u2019m hopeful the Pakistan team will bring happiness and joy very soon. Remember our team in your prayers. Pakistan Zindabad,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LAHORE Usama Mir has expressed his support for Shadab Khan in the face of mounting criticism directed at the Pakistani leg-spinner due to his recent underwhelming performances. Shadab\u2019s performance in the Asia Cup 2023 raised concerns as he managed to secure only six wickets, with four of them coming against Nepal, averaging 40.83 across five […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":356254,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-356227","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n