Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali launched a sharp attack on Shadab Khan during a television programme, questioning the leg-spinner’s return to the ODI side, with Shadab’s father-in-law and former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq present in the same panel.

Shadab, playing his first ODI since the 2023 World Cup, never found his rhythm in first ODI against Australia on Saturday. He was hit for a boundary on the very first ball he bowled and went on to concede 54 runs in eight overs without taking a wicket, the most expensive spell of the Pakistan attack on the day.

Basit did not hold back. “You tell me, Shadab Khan has not played ODI cricket for three years now, so how did he come back into the team? He has not played ODI cricket; he has only played the PSL. After bowling four overs a day for three years, how can you bring him back to the ODI team?” Basit asked on air.

He went further, calling the selection a case of favouritism and invoking his own history with the player.

“This is blatant favouritism. Basit Ali was the first person to select Shadab Khan for Under-19 cricket. But when there is no performance, and you parachute the players into the team, the youngsters will not be happy. The youngsters will remain silent because of PCB and the selectors, but these things damage Pakistan cricket in the end,” he said.

Saqlain Mushtaq, who is Shadab’s father-in-law, was seated on the same panel throughout the exchange.

The first ODI at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium ended in a five-wicket win for Pakistan.

Australia were bowled out for 200, with debutant left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas taking five for 32, making him the first Pakistan bowler to claim a five-wicket haul on ODI debut. Pakistan chased the target in 42.3 overs, with Babar Azam scoring 69 off 94 balls and Ghazi Ghori contributing 65 off 92, the pair building a match-winning 127-run stand.

Shadab’s last ODI before Rawalpindi was against England at the 2023 World Cup on November 11, 2023. He had gone wicketless in his final three matches at that tournament as well.

Since making his ODI debut in 2017, Shadab has taken 85 wickets in 71 matches at a bowling average of 35.45 and an economy rate of 5.26. With the bat, he has scored 855 runs in 44 innings at an average of 25.9 and a strike rate of 86.