- Saud Shakeel struggled to adjust to Australian conditions.
- He's vowed to learn from the experience.
- Shakeel believes in the power of learning.
In a one-on-one conversation with Cricket Pakistan, Shakeel reflected on his performance in Australia, admitting the difficulties of adjusting to the conditions, especially the novelty of playing on drop-in pitches. Despite not meeting the anticipated performance levels, Shakeel affirmed his dedication to improving his skills.
"As a professional cricketer, you always strive to adapt to the conditions wherever you go and make an effort to perform. I couldn't quickly adapt to the experience of playing on a drop-in pitch, and as a result, the performance did not come as expected. However, according to it, I will try to make an effort in the future. When I go back to Australia on the next tour, I will try to make use of the experiences I have gained," Shakeel said.
In response to inquiries about his strategy for dealing with setbacks, Shakeel emphasized the significance of post-tour evaluations and consultations with his coaches.
"We discuss and review a little bit after each tour. After the completion of every tour, we review how I could have performed better and what mistakes I made. According to that, I make preparations for the future. It's not like I wasn't doing all this before going to Australia; even before going there, I was fully preparing. Then, when something happens, we summarize how we can look at what has happened and learn from it," he further added.
Despite the hurdles, Shakeel fondly recalled his crowning achievement in international cricket—his remarkable double century against Sri Lanka. Labeling it as the “best innings” of his career, Shakeel credited his triumph to his thorough preparation and tenacious attitude.
"Until now, that has been the best innings of my career, a memorable innings. The way we were in a challenging situation both on that stage and in Sri Lanka, to go from there and score a double century, then winning the Man of the Match for Pakistan and securing a Test match victory—that has been my best moment so far," Shakeel said.
"I believe it was a result of the preparation I put in and the way I approached it. The learning from that experience was immense. If I continue to prepare in this manner, and if you get results, it not only gives you confidence but also teaches you how to handle whatever is coming in the future," he concluded.
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