Pakistan have been dealt a major blow ahead of their final Super Four match against Sri Lanka, with ace pacer Naseem Shah ruled out of the tournament with a right shoulder injury. The 20-year-old sustained the injury while fielding in the match against India on Monday, and was subsequently ruled out of the remainder of the tournament by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) medical panel. Naseem is now expected to return home and undergo further assessment and rehabilitation.
“Naseem Shah sustained a right shoulder injury during the match against India and has been ruled out of the remainder of the Asia Cup,” the PCB said in a statement. “The medical panel will continue to monitor his progress and will make a decision on his availability for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in due course.”
Naseem’s absence is a major blow for Pakistan, who are already without injured fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Hasnain. The uncapped Zaman Khan has been called up as a replacement for Naseem, while Haris Rauf is also a doubt for the match against Sri Lanka after he was not allowed to bowl against India due to a side strain.
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Pakistan need to win their final Super Four match to qualify for the final against India on September 17. However, rain is likely to play a spoilsport, with there being an 86 percent chance of rain on September 14 in Colombo. If the match is washed out, both Pakistan and Sri Lanka will get one point each, but the Lankan Tigers will book their place in the final due to their better net run-rate.
JUST IN: Naseem Shah has been ruled out of the remainder of #AsiaCup2023 with a shoulder injury – Pakistan have called up Zaman Khan as his replacement 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/GShL8iV8v3
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 13, 2023
PCB chief selector Mohammad Wasim said that the decision to call up Zaman and Dahani was only a precautionary measure.
“This is only a precautionary measure keeping in mind the fitness and well-being of the players ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup next month,” Mohammad Wasim said. “We have a long season ahead of us and we want to make sure that our players are fully fit and ready to go.”
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Pakistan will be hoping that Naseem recovers quickly and is fit for the World Cup, which begins in October. The pacer has been one of Pakistan’s most promising young bowlers in recent years, and his absence would be a big blow to the team’s chances of success.
