Naseem Shah May Miss ODI World Cup, Babar Azam Drops MASSIVE Hint
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Naseem injured his right shoulder during the match against India. He continues to be monitored by the team’s medical panel that is taking all necessary precautions keeping in mind the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
Colombo: Pakistan captain Babar Azam hinted that pacer Naseem Shah will likely to miss the upcoming ODI World Cup which will start from October 5 in India where the first match will be played between defending Champions England and New Zealand at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Naseem Shah is currently in Dubai undergoing scans for the muscle injury below his right shoulder, one he appeared to sustain while bowling at the death against India on the reserve day of super four clash on Monday.
When asked what plans Pakistan had should Naseem and Rauf miss out, Babar was coy about back-up plans but did expand on the prospects of both.
“I’ll tell you later,” he said. “Not telling you our Plan B now. But yes, Haris Rauf is not bad. He’s just got a little bit of a side strain, but he’s recovering before the World Cup. Naseem Shah also… they have a couple of miss matches, I don’t know [how long] the recovery [is], but in my opinion, Naseem Shah also [will be] in the World Cup later on. But let’s see.”
Haris Rauf, who did not bowl on the reserve day of the Pakistan vs. India contest as a precautionary measure, continues to recover well after he felt discomfort in his right flank on the first day of the match.
Team doctor Sohail Saleem said, “These two fast bowlers are our assets and the team’s medical panel will provide them the best possible care ahead of the all-important World Cup.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that right-arm fast bowler Zaman Khan has replaced Naseem Shah in the ongoing Asia Cup.
Pakistan will play their World Cup opener clash against Netherlands on October 06 which will be played at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad.
