Pakistan ka yeh 25 saal ka batsman, jo Test matches mein apni chhapaak chhod chuka hai, ab Nottinghamshire aur Essex ke khilaaf red-ball matches khelega, aur saath hi T20 Blast ke aakhri chaar group matches mein bhi dikhayi dega. Lekin, kya yeh signing Yorkshire ke liye game-changer hogi, ya bas ek aur naam roster par? Chalo, iski gehrayi mein jaate hain.
Shafique ka yeh move thoda surprising hai. Pakistan ke Test team se thodi si doori ke baad, woh ab English conditions mein apna dum dikhane ko taiyaar hain. Unke stats dekhein toh 22 Tests mein 1504 runs, 38.56 ki average se, aur 5 centuries ke saath, woh koi mamooli khiladi nahi. Lekin 2024 unke liye thoda tough raha—6 Tests mein sirf 174 runs, 15.82 ki average se. Jaise koi purana gaana, jo pehle hit tha, lekin ab naye zamane mein thoda peeche reh gaya. Fir bhi, Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 mein Lahore Qalandars ke liye 390 runs (32 ki average, 148.28 strike rate) aur final mein 41 runs ki innings ne unka confidence wapas laaya hai.
Yorkshire ki team abhi County Championship Division One mein second-last position par hai, sirf ek jeet ke saath (59 points, 7 matches). T20 Blast mein bhi woh North Group ke aakhir mein hain. Aise mein, Shafique ka aana unke batting lineup ko mazbooti de sakta hai. Unki compact aur elegant batting style, jo PSL mein James Vince aur David Warner se bhi aage thi, Yorkshire ke fans ke liye ek treat ho sakti hai. Woh Nottinghamshire ke khilaaf Trent Bridge par (22 June) aur Essex ke khilaaf York mein (29 June) khelne ke liye available hain. T20 Blast mein unke matches hain Lancashire (11 aur 17 July), Derbyshire (13 July), aur Leicestershire (18 July) ke khilaaf.
Ab thodi baat history ki. Yaad hai 2023 ka Test match Colombo mein? Shafique ne Sri Lanka ke khilaaf 201 runs ki shandaar innings kheli thi. Ya fir Multan Test 2024, jahan unhone England ke khilaaf 102 runs banaye, bhale hi Joe Root (262) aur Harry Brook (317) ne match chura liya. Aise performances dikhate hain ki Shafique bade mauke par bade runs bana sakta hai. Lekin Yorkshire ke liye, jo abhi struggle kar raha hai, kya woh is chhote se stint mein asar chhod payega?
Shafique ka yeh move unke career ke liye bhi bada hai. English conditions, jo swing aur seam ke liye jaani jaati hain, unki technique ko aur behtar kar sakti hain. Reddit par fans bol rahe hain ki yeh experience unhe Pakistan ke liye bhi faida dega, khaaskar agle saal England ke khilaaf series mein. Shafique khud excited hain, kehte hain, “Headingley khelne ka sapna tha, aur Roses match ka atmosphere dekhna hai!” Yorkshire ke coach Anthony McGrath bhi unke “tremendous skillset” se khush hain.
Lekin yeh bhi sach hai ki Yorkshire ke liye expectations bade hain. Unke paas pehle se hi New Zealand ke Will O’Rourke aur Australian Will Sutherland hain, aur jaldi hi India ka Ruturaj Gaikwad bhi aane wala hai. Shafique ke liye yeh ek chhota sa hi mauka hai, jaise T20 mein ek over mein match palatne ka chance. Agar woh runs nahi banaye, toh shayad yeh stint bas ek chhota sa yaad ban ke reh jayega.
Toh, Shafique ke liye yeh ek nayi jung hai. Chhoti team se aakar bade stage par chamakna asaan nahi. Fans ummeed karenge ki woh apne aap ko saabit karein, lekin cricket ka yeh khel kabhi-kabhi thoda nirdai hota hai—ek slip, aur sab kuch palat sakta hai.
