Naseem Shah is OUT of the World Cup. He suffered a shoulder injury during the Asia Cup and scans have revealed a major tear that will take a longer time. It was inevitable. But why the young pacer with a slender shoulder and vulnerable back was dealt ham-fistedly? The shocking injury is detrimental to Pakistan’s chances in the World Cup. But it was coming, it was bound to happen and we were not ready for it.
So, who injured Naseem? Was it unstoppable cricket? Or incompetence of the medical board? You can’t separate the two. It was a combination as Naseem was not only playing all three formats for Pakistan but also featured in a Twenty20 league in Sri Lanka. There was an ignorance on how his slender shoulder could get damaged, days before an event where we needed him the most. We did not wrap Naseem in cotton wool, to the hilt.
Naseem Shah and World Cup
But Naseem was not only used in both the Tests in Sri Lanka, bowling 65.4 overs for nine wickets and he was the lynchpin while Shaheen managed six. But to add to his workload, Naseem was allowed to play in the Lanka Premier League. He should have been stopped from playing in that league. He was a key player for the Colombo Strikers but had to miss a must-win game against Galle Titans.
There was a contrast in the two versions given by Strikers’ captain Chamika Karunaratne who said at the toss, “Naseem is not playing today due to a shoulder injury.” But the injury was played down by Naseem. “There is no injury or anything like that. I have been playing a lot of cricket recently, including the Sri Lanka Tests and back-to-back matches in the League so I am resting,” was what Naseem said.
There were fears ahead of the Asia Cup over Naseem’s fitness. But he went through the five overs in the Nepal game. He bowled at full throttle in the match against India in Pallekele but fell on his shoulder while fielding against Bangladesh in Lahore. Naseem had bowled three overs and in the next over ran from fine leg, slid to his left and hurt his shoulder. He lay down on his stomach and was completely still. After some treatment, he returned and bowled a further 2.4 overs.
This was the point where he should not have returned. There should have been a precautionary X-ray. But it was not done because we were told that the team doctor and physio were not on the same page! Next game, against India in Colombo, Naseem walked off the field after 9.2 overs. Shoulder could not take the load, as was feared.
Since January 2022 Naseem has bowled a staggering 438.2 overs, the most by a Pakistani bowler in international cricket. That was some work!
After that mishap, an X-ray showed Naseem would need a prolonged period to recover. Maybe, he will miss the Australia tour in December-January and will be fighting to play the PSL 9.
Unique Talent
Naseem Shah is a unique talent. His delightful action, the twist of the body at the point of delivery, and his wicket-taking ability is a beholding sight for fans around the world. His emergence onto the scene from a small village Mayar, not heard before the precocious fast bowler played at the international stage in 2018-19 season. He became a Gen Z sensation.
Naseem impressed all with his pace and knack to skid the ball. Although he did not get too many wickets on his first tour to Australia, he was touted as “raw talent destined to go places.” Just ahead of the Asia Cup, Naseem, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf were described as the deadly trio that was sending warning bells. But during the Asia Cup, the calamity struck. Naseem Shah clutched his shoulder and went out of the field two deliveries into his tenth over.
Three days later fears surfaced that Naseem will be out of the World Cup. So how and who injured Naseem? The story is long and tedious. How his slender shoulders were grinded, how his vulnerable back was subject to tiring and continuous labour and how his much-needed workload was not maintained. It’s an example to follow for the pacers of the next generation.
Naseem’s rise was as unique as his talent. Once inducted into the Test side after Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz deserted the Test team ahead of the Australia tour in 2019, Naseem has had his share of fame, successes, and injuries.
In fact, his career started with a big-time injury that had almost ended his career before it took off. It was 2016 when he was getting coaching at the Abdul Qadir Academy and at NCA (now HPC) and was spotted by Mudassar Nazar. But a few months into training he suffered a stress fracture of the back and had to miss the Pakistan Super League 2017 after being recruited by Quetta Gladiators. “I was told by the doctor that I would never be able to play cricket and bowl. It was a nightmare and I used to wake up in the middle of the night and cry,” recalled Naseem.
But once Naseem recovered from the setback his career took over by leaps and bounds. His first-class baptism was impressive. To his luck, Pakistan’s two frontline fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz decided to abandon Test cricket just a few days before the Australia tour. Having seen Naseem in the first-class matches, Misbah-ul-Haq, the then Pakistan head coach-cum chief selector took a punt on the young boy. Despite being new to international cricket, Naseem handled the occasion well and could have got his first wicket off the 36th delivery of his career but it turned out to be a no-ball. Warner went on to hit a triple hundred but likened Naseem to Amir and praised his talent.
Since his debut he was drafted in Twenty20 in a stellar fashion, dismissing KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav in the match. His ODI debut was against the Netherlands and since January Naseem has bowled 438.2 overs across all three formats — the most by any Pakistani bowler. Since July 2022, only two fast bowlers – Tim Southee and Mitchell Starc – have sent down more deliveries in international cricket than Naseem’s 1301. His rest only came when he had COVID-19 and then a shoulder injury otherwise he was churning deliveries after deliveries.
You need to be careful for a bowler of Naseem’s slender body. PCB, its medical staff and the team management were not prudent. The result is Naseem is once again unfit.
