WTC Final: Shahbaz Nadeem justifies selecting Axar Patel ahead of him [Exclusive]

Arguably one of the best spinners in domestic cricket over the past decade, Shahbaz Nadeem is a shining example of perseverance and determination. The 31-year-old has played 118 first-class games and has taken 447 wickets but has played only a handful of Test matches.

Shahbaz Nadeem made his debut for India in 2019-20 but has only played two Test matches. Yet he acknowledges the support of his captain and coach and understands the fierce competition for places in the squad after missing out on a place in the India squad for WTC final.

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Shahbaaz Nadeem, determined to work his way back into national reckoning, spoke about his India debut, IPL exploits, future goals and much more.

Shahbaz Nadeem's domestic success

Shahbaz Nadeem has been an absolute stalwart for Jharkhand over the years.

Just two Tests doesn't truly reflect the ability of someone who has taken close to 450 first-class wickets. Shahbaz Nadeem had a huge role to play in Jharkhand's emergence from the Plate Group to the Elite Group in the Ranji Trophy.

Four years ago, the left-arm spinner became only the second player in Ranji history to pick up over 50 wickets in back-to-back editions of the competition. He almost single-handedly took Jharkhand to the Ranji Trophy semi-finals for the first time in their history.

Shahbaz Nadeem recalled his amazing performance in the quarterfinals that season and also spoke about his record figures of 8-10 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He said in this regard:

"There are many domestic performances of mine that I can remember. There was an 11-wicket haul against Haryana in the quarterfinals. I had also picked up eight wickets in a Vijay Hazare game against Rajasthan. All these performances are memorable."

Early in his career, Shahbaz Nadeem turned out to be quite a sensation for Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2012. He was the most economical bowler in the team behind Sunil Narine and was touted as a potential white-ball specialist for India. However, Nadeem believes he can do well in all formats, and that has always been his focus.

"Whichever domestic competition that you play, even the IPL I consider as a part of the domestic circuit; each tournament has its own challenges, according to me. Every tournament should be as important as any other for domestic players," Shahbaz Nadeem said.

Shahbaz Nadeem's fairy-tale debut

Two days before his unexpected Test debut, Shahbaz Nadeem was busy featuring for Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. That is what made his inclusion even more surprising, as he was brought in as a replacement for Kuldeep Yadav.

Shahbaz Nadeem bowled well on his debut against South Africa, picking up four wickets in the game. Opening up on his debut performance, Nadeem revealed how head coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli helped bring the best out of him, saying:

"Ravi sir had motivated me at the time of my debut. He had told me to do exactly what I did in domestic cricket, i.e., to pick wickets, and believed I had the experience despite playing just my first game for India. It feels good when you get motivated by your coach as well as the captain. Virat even backed me to pick wickets, which really gave me confidence."

Shahbaz Nadeem on Axar Patel getting selected ahead of him

Axar Patel had an incredible debut Test series against England.

With Ravindra Jadeja injured for the home Test series against England, India had two left-arm spin options in Shahbaz Nadeem and Axar Patel.

Nadeem played the first Test on a pitch that was pretty flat and had no aid for bowlers whatsoever. Shahbaz Nadeem was dropped in favour of Axar Patel in the next Test. The all-rounder had a dream series, picking up 27 wickets in just three games.

Shahbaz Nadeem could have easily felt gutted after being left out of the squad for WTC final to be played from June 18 as per World Test Championship final schedule, just on the basis of just one performance. However, he provided a logical explanation behind the team management selecting Axar Patel ahead of him, saying:

"It was the thought process of the team management to get a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja. They needed someone who could bat at No. 7 and give the team that depth, so they picked Axar over me for the second Test. As far as my performance was concerned, yes I didn't have a great outing in the first Test. But it's natural for any player to have one off-game. I am confident since I have performed in the past, and one bad game doesn't make me a bad bowler."

Nadeem has a decent record with the bat too, scoring 2196 runs in first-class cricket, including a century and seven fifties. He has bowled well in List A cricket, too, picking up 156 scalps in 114 games.

With the team management's requirement to have bowlers who can bat a bit, Shahbaz Nadeem understands the team's decision to back Axar Patel. Nadeem feels he needs to return to domestic cricket and continue to perform before returning to the Indian team. He said in this regard:

"The cricket nowadays is changing, and everyone wants a bowler who can bat. It's not that I don't have great stats in domestic cricket. I have made a century and a few half-centuries too. I feel format-wise players are backed by the team management, and it's fair enough if they think that Axar is more useful than me as an all-rounder. But as a bowler, I have done enough in domestic cricket and have done whatever needs t0 be done, so I will keep on continuing."

Shahbaz Nadeem wasn't named in the Indian squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against NZ squad for WTC final as well as the Test series against England. Rather than getting disheartened, he understood that stalwarts like Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja were always ahead of him in the pecking order. With Axar Patel also in good form, Nadeem knew he only had a very slim chance of being on the plane to England.

With a second-string Indian team set to tour Sri Lanka in July for a limited-overs series, Shahbaz Nadeem is determined to perform well if an opportunity comes his way. In this regard, he noted:

"If there is a player playing in your place, and he isn't doing well, then it is frustrating. But if the players are doing really well in a place that you are fighting for, then you need to understand that there is a lot of competition and be patient enough for your opportunity. If I get a chance in the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka, then I would surely back myself to give good performances."

Shahbaz Nadeem's IPL stint with SRH

Shahbaz Nadeem had a good season with the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) last year, picking up five wickets in seven games and was economical. He played just one game in the truncated IPL 2021 season.

Get the latest updates on WTC final live score.

While Afghanistan's Rashid Khan continues to be SRH's leading spinner, Nadeem is awaiting his opportunity to prove he could be an ideal foil to Khan and help the team win games.

"In IPL, there is such a huge squad that it's easy to get frustrated on not getting enough chances. But you need to keep yourself motivated. I did get a few chances last year, and I did well in Dubai. This year I got just one game in the first half. So if I get chances in the second half, I will surely give my best," Shabaz Nadeem said.

Not all seemed well in the SRH camp when the team management decided to drop captain David Warner midway through the tournament and replaced him with Kane Williamson.

While it was thought that would cause a rift in the dressing room, Shahbaz Nadeem shed light on the reaction of the players to Warner's sacking. He said everyone was in right spirits and respected the management's decision. He elaborated:

"It was the SRH management's decision to give the captaincy to Kane Williamson. I don't think Kane is a bad captain. He is really mature, and both he and management handled the situation really well. We played just one game after the captaincy changed and hence, it would be wrong to call it a bad move just yet. Everything was fine in our dressing room. David took the decision pretty maturely. He was active not just on the field but off it too and was always ready to help the team."

With two T20 World Cups and a 50-over World Cup likely to be played over the next three years, Shahbaz Nadeem is determined to make a comeback for India, something that is spurring him to improve every single day.

"My focus has always been to play for my country, and it will remain the same in the next five years too. I can prove my mettle wherever I get the chance. I have done well in the past, and I am confident that I will perform in the future too," Shahbaz Nadeem concluded.