According to preliminary scans in Dubai, the injury may prevent him from playing the balance of the season and potentially the Australia tour.
After diagnostics revealed that Naseem Shah’s right shoulder damage was more severe than initially anticipated, he will likely miss the entire World Cup. The PCB is reportedly seeking a second opinion, although scans from examinations in Dubai seem to indicate the injury may prevent him from playing for the remainder of the year. According to the board medical panel of PCB will decide the return of the victim cricketer.
If more results confirm the preliminary ones, Naseem might be in for a protracted layoff. He might not play in the upcoming Test series in Australia, and the 2024 edition of the Pakistan Super League is also a possibility.
Last week, on the reserve day scheduled for that match, Naseem left the field in the middle of the 46th over in Pakistan’s second game against India at the Asia Cup. He was quickly eliminated from the competition. Interestingly, the PCB advocated for that reserve day for the game against India as a hard-won concession following the refusal to transfer the games to Hambantota, which was predicted to be drier.
The loss of Naseem from the World Cup and the ensuing series in Australia will be devastating for Pakistan. Naseem has transformed over the past year from a red-ball expert to an all-format bowler for Pakistan. In his present form, Naseem is the best of Pakistan’s renowned trio of Naseem, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf.
When the PCB receives the results of his secondary scans in a few days, it is anticipated to make an official decision. Zaman Khan took his place at the Asia Cup because Mohammad Hasnain, another potential substitute, is now injured.
At the beginning of his career, Naseem has struggled with injuries. He missed 14 months of cricket due to a back ailment he suffered one year into his international career when he was 17 years old. He was forced to miss a month of play six weeks after his comeback due to a shoulder injury he sustained while making his County Championship debut with Gloucestershire.
Since then, his workload has greatly grown (18 months). Naseem, who was simply a red-ball player at the time, has developed into a vital bowler for Pakistan in all formats. Since making his ODI debut, he has been their most effective bowler, taking 32 wickets in 14 games while averaging slightly under 17.
But the workload has risen rather sharply with someone as young as Naseem. Only eight fast bowlers have bowled more international deliveries since July 2022 than Naseem’s 2246, and none of them are even close to his age. Only 2732 balls have been bowled overall by Afridi and Haris Rauf. Naseem has also been in demand on the T20 circuit since leaving the LPL recently. Friday, he was a part of the SA20 auction list, a match he is about to miss.
