NEWS
Follow UsOn July 13 (Saturday), star Pakistani pacer Naseem Shah was denied permission to play in The Hundred, starting July 23. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has cited injury concerns as the reasons to deny him the No Objection Certificate (NOC).
Geo News, in a report, claimed that Jason Gillespie, Pakistan's red-ball coach and the board were against the idea of allowing Naseem to risk his fitness again having recovered recently. Naseem was signed by Birmingham Phoenix for the 2024 edition of The Hundred.
Naseem, who made his debut as a 16-year-old in 2019, has been prone to injuries, having appeared in just 17 Tests, 14 ODIs, and 28 T20Is in his four-year international career.
His last injury occurred just ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023. He had hurt his shoulders, which kept him out of action for three to four months before he returned to the national side for the T20 World Cup 2024.
With important matches coming up in the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle for the Pakistani team, Naseem would be a crucial part of the team’s strategy. His presence becomes necessary given that Shaheen Afridi will not be available for the two-match series against Bangladesh starting in August.
Gillespie confirmed that Shaheen is most likely to miss the series, with the couple expecting their first child.
“Shaheen can miss Bangladesh Test matches due to childbirth. We can give him [some] rest if he wants to stay with his wife till then," Geo News quoted Gillespie as saying.
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