Cricket
Abdullah Shafique vs Yashasvi Jaiswal: Better Young Test Opener?
Test cricket is witnessing a wave of talented young openers, notably Pakistan's Abdullah Shafique and India's Yashasvi Jaiswal, both quickly becoming standout performers.
Yashasvi Jaiswal//Getty Images
Jaiswal, who of course, has a long way to go to be considered Test cricket’s greatest left-handed batsman, is explosive, fearless, and a modern-day dasher. In contrast, Shafique has been more compact and elegant in his batting for Pakistan, representing more of a throwback. So who’s the best opener between these two? Let’s find out.
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate the Best Young Test Opener?
This guide compares their early careers using SportsBoom’s specialized ranking model, the SB Market Index, driven by batting statistics and informed by Industry Insights; expert evaluations and media analysis.
Industry Insights
A curated analysis from top 8 cricketing sources measures each player's perceived potential and current impact.
| Metric | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Abdullah Shafique |
|---|---|---|
| ICC Emerging Nominee | 1 | 0 |
| India Today Mention | 1 | 0 |
| The Guardian Spotlight | 1 | 0 |
| ProPakistani Analysis | 0 | 1 |
| Reddit r/Cricket Praise | 0 | 1 |
| Cricket.com Highlight | 0 | 1 |
| Top-10 Emerging Stars | 1 | 0 |
| ICC Test Rankings | 1 | 0 |
| Total Mentions | 5 | 3 |
SB Score (Test Batting Statistics)
Our ‘SB Score’ evaluates these promising opening batsmen on four key Test batting metrics: Batting Average (40% weight), Total Runs (20% weight), Number of Centuries (25% weight), and Number of Fifties (15% weight). The stats were then normalized before weighting.
| Rank | Player | Betting Average | Total Runs | No. of Centuries | No. of Fifties | SB Score |
| 1 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | 52.88 | 1798 | 5 | 5 | 0.92 |
| 2 | Abdullah Shafique | 38.56 | 1504 | 4 | 10 | 0.80 |
SB Market Index
| Rank | Player | Industry Insights | SB Score | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | 5 | 0.95 | 4.18 |
| 2 | Abdullah Shafique | 3 | 0.78 | 2.56 |
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Why He Leads the Race?
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Test average contributed to his higher SB Market Index (SB Market Index: 4.184). This strong position is driven by his superior ‘SB Score’ (reflecting a higher average, more runs, and more fifties in his dataset) and a higher ‘Industry Insights’ score, indicating stronger expert backing for his early career impact and future potential.
Abdullah Shafique: A Talent With Promising Potential
Abdullah Shafique’s Test centuries record suggests he is a significant talent, but he ranked second in this comparative model.
Conclusion on Two Bright Futures & Disclaimer
Our comprehensive SB Market Index, which gives the full lowdown on Pakistan vs India batting talent coming to the fore, places a strong emphasis on expert and media consensus (Industry Insights). The overall result positions Yashasvi Jaiswal as the more promising young Test opener when compared to Abdullah Shafique, based on their early career achievements and current perception.
Jaiswal’s superiority in both our statistical ‘SB Score’ and the ‘Industry Insights’ makes a compelling case in this head-to-head analysis. Both players, however, have already demonstrated the talent required to become mainstays for their national teams for years to come.
It’s important to remember that both players are at the nascent stages of what promises to be exciting Test careers, and their paths will continue to evolve.
Disclaimer: This analysis uses career statistics up to the point of data provision and a specific weighted SB Score model, combined with surveyed ‘Industry Insights’. Future performances will undoubtedly alter these comparisons. Different methodologies or sources could yield different conclusions. This is for illustrative and discussion purposes.
Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.