Former Pakistan pacer Tanvir Ahmed has said that currently on merit, pacer Naseem Shah has no place in Pakistan cricket team.
During a recent interview, Tanvir lashed out at selectors’ decision to include Naseem Shah in the squad for the Bangladesh series without giving him a chance to play a single game.
“Look, if you picked Naseem Shah for the Bangladesh series and didn’t play him, then why didn’t you play him? His performance in the PSL was completely poor. Just look at his fitness level, his run-up while running, his energy — he’s not even putting in any effort. He has injury issues, so how did he make it into the team?” Tanvir questioned.
The former cricketer further claimed that Naseem’s selection appears to be influenced by his association with Islamabad United, one of the franchises in the PSL.
“That’s why people are saying this is due to his connection with Islamabad United — since the head coach is also from Islamabad United, and some other players from Islamabad United were also given preference, people are thinking this way and raising these concerns,” he stated.
“Otherwise, Naseem Shah has no place in the team based on merit. In the PSL, Mir Hamza was performing really well, so why wasn’t he selected? Abbas Afridi was also ignored, but as soon as Wasim Jr got injured, Abbas Afridi was added to the team,” he said.
Naseem claimed only nine wickets in 10 matches with an economy rate of 9.30 in the PSL.
