Incidentally the Port of Spain Test was the first-ever time that Shafique donned the No.3 role in Tests and aced the challenge with aplomb. But the ground-work for that success was laid in Pakistan’s domestic President’s Trophy Grade-II Gold tournament, in which Shafique featured.
“President’s Trophy Grade-II really helped me get to where I am today as I played in seaming and spin-friendly conditions across four venues, toiling under the peak summer sun and scoring valuable runs under pressure for my team.”
Before his West Indies heroics, Abdullah had endured an indifferent run in Test cricket, averaging 20.52 from December 2023 to October 2025.
His captain during the domestic tournament was Pakistan international Hasan Nawaz who had high praise for Abdullah’s work ethics and determination that helped him turn the tide.
“The plan in Grade-II was for Abdullah to bat through the innings and it was pleasing to see him remain not out in both innings of his comeback game. I’m glad that mindset has stuck with him at the top level.
“Abdullah spoke to me about the areas he wanted to improve in his game by playing red-ball cricket. He spent long hours in the nets throughout the tournament and looked after his fitness routines well.”
