Naseem Shah Archives

Naseem Shah among international players registered for SA20 auction

The auction for the upcoming third edition of South Africa’s SA20 is set to take place in Cape Town on October 1, featuring 75 international stars across the globe, including Pakistan’s pace sensation Naseem Shah.

The SA20 2025 will commence on January 9, clashing with Australia’s Big Bash League, UAE’s ILT20 and New Zealand’s Super Smash.

A total of 115 South African players will be participating in the auction alongside international players from 14 different countries.

It’s worth noting that among almost 200 players in the auction, only 13 players will be picked to join six franchise teams.

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Other than Naseem Shah, the SA20 auction will feature notable international players like Shamar Joseph, Josh Little, Saqib Mahmood, Qais Ahmad, and Kamindu Mendis.

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who is serving as the commissioner of SA20, expressed optimism and enthusiasm for the upcoming edition.

“Some of the biggest names on the international T20 circuit have already signed up for season 3 and I am looking forward to seeing how the teams finalise their squads from this competitive auction list of players,” he stated.

Squads ahead of SA20 auction

Durban’s Super Giants: Brandon King (West Indies), Quinton De Kock, Naveen Ul Haq (Afghanistan), Kane Williamson (New Zealand), Chris Woakes (England), Prenelan Subrayen, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Noor Ahmed (Afghanistan), Heinrich Klaasen, Jon-Jon Smuts, Wiaan Mulder, Junior Dala, Bryce Parsons, Matthew Breetzke, Jason Smith, Marcus Stoinis (Australia)

Joburg Super Kings: Faf Du Plessis, Moeen Ali (England), Jonny Bairstow (England), Maheesh Theekshana (Sri Lanka), Devon Conway (New Zealand), Gerald Coetzee, David Wiese (Namibia), Leus Du Plooy (England), Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger, Donovan Ferreira, Imran Tahir, Sibonelo Makhanya, Tabraiz Shamsi

MI Cape Town: Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Ben Stokes (England), Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult (New Zealand), Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan), Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Nuwan Thushara (Sri Lanka), Connor Esterhuizen, Delano Potgieter, Rassie Van der Dussen, Thomas Kaber, Chris Benjamin (England), Corbin Bosch

Pretoria Capitals: Anrich Nortje, Jimmy Neesham (New Zealand), Will Jacks (England), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan), Liam Livingstone (England), Will Smeed (England), Migael Pretorius, Rilee Rossouw, Eathan Bosch, Wayne Parnell, Senuran Muthusamy, Kyle Verreynne, Daryn Dupavillon, Steve Stolk, Tiaan van Vuuren

Paarl Royals: David Miller, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan), Sam Hain (England), Joe Root (England), Dinesh Karthik (India), Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Bjorn Fortuin, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Van Buuren, Keith Dudgeon, Nqaba Peter, Andile Phehlukwayo, Codi Yusuf, John Turner (England), Dayyaan Galiem, Jacob Bethell (England)

Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Aiden Markram, Zak Crawley (England), Roelof van der Merwe (Netherlands), Liam Dawson (England), Ottneil Baartman, Marco Jansen, Beyers Swanepoel, Caleb Seleka, Tristan Stubbs, Jordan Hermann, Patrick Kruger, Craig Overton (England), Tom Abell (England), Simon Harmer, Andile Simelane, David Bedingham

READ: Ahmed Shehzad questions Kamran Ghulam’s exclusion from Test squad

Mohammad Abbas offers valuable advice to Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah

Test pacer Mohammad Abbas has offered a piece of advice for Pakistan’s all-format fast bowling duo of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.

During an interview with a local sports website, Abbas emphasised the importance of maintaining fitness for pace bowlers to keep performing at the highest level.

“Naseem Shah has gotten injured, Khurram [Shahzad] has also gotten injured, and Shaheen Afridi is dealing with some issues as well,” Abbas said.

“They need to work a bit on their fitness, and I’m doing the same. We also need to work a little on biomechanics at the National Cricket Academy,” he added.

Abbas further highlighted the tough nature of Test cricket, where a bowler has to bowl the whole day, unlike white-ball cricket. He suggested Pakistan’s pace bowler play more first-class cricket, which will help improve their overall performance across formats.

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“In Test cricket, you have to endure tough times — fielding all day, bowling all day — it’s not easy at all,” Abbas stressed.

“But, as I mentioned earlier, we need to respect four-day cricket and provide proper support for it. As professional fast bowlers, we’ll need to bowl long spells,” he concluded.

Notably, Mohammad Abbas recently achieved a major milestone in first-class cricket with his 700th wicket in the format.

The 34-year-old pacer, who is currently representing Hampshire, claimed the prestigious feat in the second innings of the County Championship match against Kent.

He trapped Kent’s Jack Leaning plumb in front of the wicket to complete 700 wickets in first-class cricket.

Abbas became the 14th player from Pakistan to reach this milestone.

READ: Babar Azam achieves major milestone with Champions Cup century

Gary Kirsten concerned over ‘alarming’ workload of Shaheen, Naseem

Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten on Monday, acknowledged that their pace duo of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah are under immense workload.

Kirsten, while commentating on Monday’s Champions One-Day Cup, shared an alarming insight regarding ace pacer Afridi, who according to him, bowled three times more than any other pacer in the world.

“Fast bowlers are always under immense pressure to deliver and win games. When we look at our key resources, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah have carried the bulk of the workload for Pakistan across all formats,” said Gary Kirsten.

“Shaheen has bowled three times more overs than any other fast bowler in the world over the last 18 months. That’s alarming—you’re bound to wear him down eventually,” he added.

Notably, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah are one of the few players, who are regular parts of the Pakistan team across formats.

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Both pacers have sustained severe injuries in the past, resulting in them missing out on major tournaments like ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2022 and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

Remember, Shaheen sustained a knee injury amid Pakistan’s first Test of the two-match series against Sri Lanka in 2022, which resulted in him missing the second match of the series and the first two ODIs against the Netherlands.

The left-arm pacer then ruled out of the Asia Cup as his injury worsened.

On the other hand, Naseem Shah sustained an injury to his right shoulder in the blockbuster Asia Cup 2023 clash between arch-rivals Pakistan and India.

The right-arm pacer walked off the field in the 46th over of India’s innings and was subsequently ruled out of the tournament remainder.

Naseem sustained a much worse injury to his right shoulder than was suspected by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the severity of the injury was such that the young pacer got ruled out of the World Cup.

READ: India thump Korea to reach Asian Hockey Champions Trophy final

Naseem Shah, Fakhar Zaman among Pakistan players to enter BBL draft

Pace sensation Naseem Shah and explosive batter Fakhar Zaman are among the nominations from Pakistan for the upcoming draft of Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL).

Pakistan announced a total of 64 men and 11 women cricketers to participate in the BBL draft, which is scheduled to take place on September 1.

The new nominees will join previously nominated Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Usama Mir, and Zaman Khan in the draft.

Along with Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman, the new list of nominees includes Shan Masood, Saim Ayub, Usman Qadir, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali and Mohammad Hasnain.

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Meanwhile, Pakistan’s women players Fatima Sana, Nida Dar, Diana Baig, Aliya Riaz, and Nashrah Sandhu as well as rising stars Tuba Hasan and Arooba Shah will participate in the WBBL draft.

The Big Bash League (BBL) is scheduled to kick off on December 15, with Perth Scorchers clashing against Melbourne Stars in the tournament opener in Perth. The tournament will culminate with the final on January 27, 2025.

Meanwhile, the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) will run from October 27 to December 1, with the opening game seeing Adelaide Strikers take on Brisbane Heat at the Adelaide Oval.

READ: Usman Khawaja opens up on possibility of coaching Pakistan in future

Naseem Shah, Mohammad Rizwan rise in ICC Test Rankings

DUBAI: Pakistan’s wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan and right-arm pacer Naseem Shah made notable strides in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Rankings, updated Wednesday.

South Africa’s Test captain Temba Bavuma, who scored 85 and 16 in the first Test against West Indies, slipped four places down to the 20th, after a disappointing outing in the second Test.

Bavuma perished for a duck in the first innings of the Providence Test and could score just four in the second which saw him losing his spot in the Test Batting Rankings.

As a result, England’s Ben Duckett, Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan, India’s Shubman Gill and England’s Zak Crawley all jumped a place and occupied 16th to 19th rank respectively.

South Africa’s opener Aiden Markam and wicketkeeper batter Kyle Verreynne got the reward of their half-centuries. Markram jumped up two places to 21st while Verreynne surged from 62nd to 46th.

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In the ICC Test Bowling Rankings, West Indies’ pacer Jayden Seales jumped up 13 places to achieve career-best ranking of 13th.

Seales took nine wickets in West Indies’ 40-run loss against South Africa in the Test.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder, who was adjudged the Player of the Match in the second Test against West Indies for his 4/32 and 2/35 advanced 27 places to 65th.

West Indies bowlers also made strides in the Test Bowling Rankings as Shamar Joseph climbed 11 spots to 54th while Jomel Warrican (52nd) and Gudakesh Motie (64th) jumped two spots each.

However, West Indies all-rounder Kyle Mayers slipped a place and was consequently replaced by Naseem Shah, who claimed the 37th spot.

READ: Saim Ayub lifts Pakistan after Bangladesh bowlers inflict early damage

Here’s why Naseem Shah does not let his father watch his matches

Pakistan’s pace sensation Naseem Shah has recently opened up about the reason for not letting his father watch his matches.

The young pacer is set to make his comeback in Test cricket during the first of the two-match home series against Bangladesh.

Naseem, 21, revealed in a recent interview with Cricbuzz that his father has been experiencing health issues. He mentioned that the team’s losses have been affecting his father’s health.

“There is a lot going on in a cricketer’s life behind the scenes about which people are not aware,” he said.

“My father is going through some health issues. There was a time when he did not know anything about cricket, but now he watches every ball and gets distressed when we lose.”

Naseem Shah shared that before every match, he requests his brothers to ensure that his father does not watch the game to avoid health complications.

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“So, before every big game, I ring my brothers to make sure that our father doesn’t watch it. I fear that it may lead to some bigger health complications. It [the pressure] is like I am playing two matches at once,” he added.

The young pacer acknowledged the glittery life of a cricketer, however, he stressed the importance of spending time with his family.

“You realise there was a life before cricket and there is one beyond it. The world knows you because of cricket and they will talk to you about it,” said Naseem Shah.

“But, when you are with the family, they will talk to you about other aspects of life and you realise that ‘I am not just a cricketer but I am a son of this family’. It is a good diversion from cricket.”

Naseem was named in Pakistan’s Playing XI for the first Test against Bangladesh, starting tomorrow in Rawalpindi.

He will form Pakistan’s all-pace bowling attack, which includes Shaheen Shah Afridi, Khurram Shehzad and Mohammad Ali.

Pakistan’s Playing XI for the first Bangladesh Test: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Ali.

READ: Thierry Henry leaves coaching role with France youth side

Players can not be forced to improve fitness: Naseem Shah

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan pace sensation Naseem Shah is ready to make his comeback to the red-ball side after a 13-month hiatus during the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh.

The young pacer did not participate in Pakistan’s last Test series against Australia due to a shoulder injury that ruled him out of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 as well.

He was last featured in the two-match away Test series against Sri Lanka, where he played in both games. He claimed nine wickets in the series.

Naseem is also part of Pakistan Shaheens’ squad for the first four-day match against Bangladesh A. He is currently partaking in the Shaheens’ training camp under the supervision of head coach Umar Gul.

The star pacer expressed excitement over his return to red-ball cricket, however, he also acknowledged the fact that playing in the longer format after a break is difficult.

“I haven’t played red cricket for thirteen months, it’s not easy to play after a long time,” said Naseem. “International cricket has its own pressure, however, we are training hard for it.”

“I know personally that it is not easy to play an international match after a long time. After coming back from injury, I am gradually increasing the load of bowling spells,” he added.

Naseem also shared that while it’s good to work with foreign coaches, however, the language barrier is a major issue for many players.

“There is a language problem with foreign coaches. We need someone to translate the language. It is easier to communicate with the coach in your own language,” he stressed.

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Recently, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced to conduct tests regularly to asses player’s fitness.

With a renewed focus on fitness, Pakistan cricketers will undergo a total of five to six tests in order to be physically tested as per the international criteria.

Naseem Shah welcomed the decision to emphasise fitness, however, he expressed the belief that it’s the players cannot be forced to improve fitness. It is every player’s responsibility to keep their fitness levels at best.

“As a professional, you have to take care of your fitness, no one can be forced to improve their fitness. International athletes are not schoolchildren to be taught fitness,” he remarked.

Notably, the first four-day match between Pakistan Shaheens and Bangladesh is scheduled to be played from 13 August to 16 August at the Islamabad Club.

Following the four-day match, Naseem Shah along with seven other probables will join the senior team for the Test series.

The first Test will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 21-25 August, while the second Test will be held from 30 August-3 September in Karachi.

Pakistan squad for Test series against Bangladesh

Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal (subject to Fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Shaheen Shah Afridi

READ: Bangladesh all-rounder pulls out of Pakistan tour

Jason Gillespie reacts to PCB’s stance on players’ workload management

Pakistan’s newly-appointed Test coach Jason Gillespie backed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) stance to ensure the workload management of the all-format players.

Earlier, the cricketing body denied the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to Naseem Shah for the Hundred and also to Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi for the Global T20 Canada 2024.

Meanwhile, Gillespie, in an interview with ESPN Cricinfo, said that the centrally contracted players are compensated well and thus the management has the right to instruct the players to rest, considering their availability for the national team.

“Players are centrally contracted and getting compensated really well. We have the right to be able to say, ‘Look, in this situation, we need you to rest or have some downtime to give your body and mind a break, be ready for the next challenge for Pakistan’” Gillespie said.

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Jason Gillespie, however, acknowledged the importance of the franchise leagues for the players to get exposure but if that participation impacts a player’s readiness for national duty then a discussion and a decision would be essential.

“We want players to go and play in these leagues and have these great experiences. But if we believe it’s going to be to the detriment of representing Pakistan in an upcoming series, then we’ll have a discussion and have a decision to make.

“These are honest and difficult conversations. Ultimately, we’re tasked with doing what’s right by Pakistan cricket.”

“If being honest is telling a player something they might not want to hear, well, then I’m willing to do that. I want to help them be the best player and person they can be.”

It is worth mentioning here that the Pakistan men’s team will embark on a busy international calendar 2024-25 with a two-match home Test series against Bangladesh, scheduled to take place from August 21 to September 3.

READ: Shoaib Malik wants India to visit Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025

England all-rounder disappointed over Naseem’s unavailability for The Hundred

England all-rounder Moeen Ali expressed his disappointment over Naseem Shah’s unavailability for The Hundred 2024, scheduled to run from July 23 to August 24.

Moeen Ali, who was named Birmingham Phoenix captain last week, claimed that Naseem Shah was their first-choice pacer and was anticipated to deliver notable performances to the side.

He further revealed that the Pakistan pacer’s absence has damaged the team’s balance before reiterating that a player should be free to play cricket if there are no obligations.

For the unversed, Naseem Shah, who was signed by the Phoenix in the £125,000 category, was denied the No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

According to the details, the cricketing body made the decision in a bid to prevent Naseem from potential injuries and to ensure his workload management as he is Pakistan’s first-choice pacer in all three formats.

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Considering Pakistan’s upcoming busy season which includes World Test Championship (WTC) matches against Bangladesh, England and West Indies while also playing an ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, the PCB is unwilling to take any risks regarding Naseem Shah’s fitness.

For the unversed, Naseem also missed the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India due to a shoulder injury.

The right-arm pacer suffered the injury during the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023 fixture against India which resulted in him ruling out of the tournament remainder.

The incident occurred in the 46th over of India’s innings when he walked off the field favouring his bowling shoulder on the reserve day allocated for the blockbuster clash between two Asian giants.

Briefly, after Pakistan’s 228-run defeat against arch-rivals India, the PCB called up Zaman Khan and Shahnawaz Dahani as backup pacers for the rest of the tournament, as a precautionary measure to provide a cover for injured Naseem and Haris Rauf.

Later, the PCB confirmed that Naseem Shah was ruled out of the Asia Cup 2023 and Zaman was added to the Pakistan squad.

READ: Former Pakistan captain breaks silence on Bob Woolmer’s tragic death

Naseem Shah replaced by Tim Southee for The Hundred

LONDON: New Zealand’s right-arm pacer Tim Southee replaced his Pakistan counterpart Naseem Shah in the Birmingham Phoenix squad for this year’s edition of The Hundred.

The development was confirmed by the league as it confirmed the availability of the England Men’s players — currently featuring in the home Test series against West Indies — and also the players’ replacements.

As a result, Tim Southee will represent Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred 2024 in place of Naseem Shah.

Last week, Naseem was denied a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to participate in The Hundred.

Notably, Naseem was signed by Birmingham Phoenix in the £125,000 category and his absence from the tournament will result in him suffering significant financial loss.

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For the unversed, Naseem also missed the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India due to a shoulder injury.

The right-arm pacer suffered the injury during the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023 fixture against India which resulted in him ruling out of the tournament remainder.

Later, the PCB confirmed that Naseem Shah was ruled out of the Asia Cup 2023 and Zaman was added to the Pakistan squad.

READ: Ben Stokes to feature in The Hundred after West Indies Tests