Star pacer Naseem Shah has been disqualified from the remainder of the Asia Cup 2023, dealing a severe blow to Pakistan. When Pakistan faced off against India in the Super Four round of the competition, the 20-year-old suffered an injury to his right shoulder.
The absence of Shah might be a significant disadvantage for Pakistan, which is poised to play Sri Lanka in a virtually semi-final. Notably, Zaman Khan has been called up to take the young player’s place. The match against Sri Lanka is extremely important because a win will guarantee their spot in the championship match.
Naseem Shah injury forced Pakistan’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, to take centre stage and discuss how tragic the team’s loss of Naseem is. He added that after a devastating defeat to India, he was eager to see the young players step up and play with integrity against Sri Lanka.
“Obviously, Naseem Shah absence is a major setback. It’s terrible that he chose a few minor irritations.
But what a great chance for the individuals you know that are coming in. Tomorrow’s game is a must-win for us after we lost to India. During the pre-game news conference, Morne Morkel commented, “I’m quite thrilled to see fresh individuals stepping in and displaying some character.
We experienced great disappointment: Morkel
Morkel also discussed Pakistan’s heartbreaking defeat by the Indian team. It’s important to remember that India completely destroyed Pakistan in their most recent match, winning by a score of 228 runs. Morkel stated that the team was devastated by the defeat.
“We were devastated following the India match. I believe it is crucial for bowlers to reflect on their game and pose challenging questions to themselves. Yes, the Indian batters must also be given credit, Morkel remarked.
“They applied pressure to us right away. These are excellent things for us to learn ahead of the World Cup. We will learn from this and rebound stronger,” he said.