PAK vs BAN 2024: Saud Shakeel surpasses Steve Smith, just below Donald Bradman in batting average charts after Rawalpindi ton

Saud Shakeel. (Photo source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Saud Shakeel registered his third Test century against Bangladesh, contining his dominance in the longest format of the game. The southpaw scored a majestic 141 off 261 in the ongoing first Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Shakeel came out to bat on Day 1 after Pakistan were in a precarious position at 114/4. He showed grit and determination and got to the three-figure mark on Day 2 before being dismissed by Mehidy Hasan Miraz. He forged a marathon 240-run partnership along with Mohammad Rizwan. During his excellent knock, the Pakistan vice-captain hit nine boundaries.

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Shakeel’s average got a major boost after his heroics. The 28-year-old now has the second-highest average among current Test batters with a minimum of 10 Test innings.

After his splendid outing with the bat, Shakeel’s average soared to a staggering 65.18 from 20 innings. His batting average currently is higher than stalwarts like Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, Joe Root and Virat Kohli, who are considered as four of the best players in modern-day cricket.

In the all-time average lists, with a minimum of 20 innings played, Shakeel is at number two, just below the legendary Australian batter Donald Bradman, who boasts a mind-boggling average of 99.94.

Shakeel completed 1,000 Test runs during his gritty innings. and equaled Saeed Ahmed’s record to become the joint-fastest Pakistan batter to reach the milestone. Both completed this milestone in 11 Tests and 20 innings. The Karachi-born has the most number of runs by an Asian batter in the first 20 innings of a Test career.

Also Read: PAK vs BAN: Mohammad Rizwan becomes fifth Pakistani wicket-keeper batter to register 150-plus score

The other Asian players having reached 1,000 runs or more in this span are Mayank Agarwal, Saeed Ahmed, Cheteshwar Pujara, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Vinod Kambli.

Coming to the match, Pakistan declared at 448/6 after Rizwan top-scored with an unbeaten 171 on Day 2. Bangladesh finished Day 2 at 27/0 in 12 overs.