Key Takeaways
- Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop compared Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique to Sialkot's literary greats.
- Abdullah Shafique scored an unbeaten century in the second Test against West Indies, helping Pakistan recover.
- Bishop noted that Shafique was nicknamed 'Kitabi' by Babar Azam for his textbook batting technique.
Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop drew a unique comparison between Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique during the ongoing second Test match, linking them to Sialkot’s rich literary heritage.
Speaking on commentary, Bishop highlighted that both players hail from Sialkot, a city renowned for producing some of Pakistan's greatest poets and writers, including Allama Iqbal, Parveen Shakir, and Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Bishop also shared an interesting anecdote about Shafique’s nickname. He explained that Babar Azam had nicknamed him 'Kitabi' not because of his literary prowess but due to his textbook batting technique.
In a significant performance for Pakistan, Abdullah Shafique marked his return to Test cricket with an unbeaten century on Day 2 at Queen's Park Oval. Playing his first Test in 10 months, he remained unbeaten on 107 from 185 balls, including 10 fours and two sixes.
Shafique’s innings helped Pakistan reach a total of 266/2 at stumps, trailing West Indies’ first-innings score by only 78 runs. Captain Babar Azam was also unbeaten on 86 from 126 deliveries.
The right-hander had featured for Lahore Qalandars in the Global Super League (GSL) just last week before being drafted into Pakistan’s Test lineup as a replacement for Shan Masood, batting at No. 3 for the first time in his Test career.
Pakistan suffered an early setback when Imam-ul-Haq was dismissed for 14 with the score at 34. However, Shafique and Awais formed a crucial partnership of 64 runs for the second wicket, helping Pakistan recover.
Awais played an attacking knock of 55 from 71 balls, hitting 10 boundaries before being dismissed by Jomel Warrican in the 21st over. Babar Azam then joined Shafique and together they added an unbeaten 168 runs for the third wicket, keeping West Indies’ bowlers wicketless for the remainder of the day.
Earlier, West Indies resumed their innings at 239/5 and were eventually bowled out for 344 in 105.4 overs. Justin Greaves scored 73 while captain Roston Chase contributed 70. Sajid Khan led Pakistan’s bowling attack with figures of 4/85, while Mohammad Ali, Ali Usman, and Ubaid Shah claimed two wickets each.
The interesting story about these two batsmen is that Sialkot has produced some of the finest poets and writers, including Allama Iqbal, Parveen Shakir, and Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Ian Bishop, Former West Indies fast bowler and renowned cricket commentator
Fittingly, Abdullah Shafique was nicknamed 'Kitabi' by Babar Azam, not because of literature, but because of his textbook batting technique.
Ian Bishop, Former West Indies fast bowler and renowned cricket commentator
