PC: cricfit
The Pakistan cricket team reached India on Wednesday to participate in the 2023 World Cup and was given a warm welcome in Hyderabad. Led by Babar Azam, the team spent a lot of time in Hyderabad after departing from Dubai, where they had to stay for nine hours. He took off from Lahore early on Wednesday and reached Hyderabad at night.
Pakistan's first practice match is to be played against New Zealand on 29 September, after which it will face Australia on 3 October. Their first match of the tournament will be against the Netherlands in Hyderabad on October 6, followed by the next match against Sri Lanka on October 10.
Pakistan was one of the last teams to announce its 15-man squad for the World Cup, due to a major injury to star fast bowler Naseem Shah just before the tournament. Naseem, who is part of the star fast bowling trio including Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, suffered a shoulder injury during the Asia Cup and was subsequently ruled out of the marquee tournament in India.
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Moeen Khan has now shed light on Naseem's injury, revealing that the star pacer was "constantly complaining" about the problem, but the medical team continued to ignore it.
Moeen told Cricket Pakistan - “Naseem's injury is a problem for the medical panel and physiotherapists of the Pakistan team. Because he was continuously complaining that he was facing problems for three months, they made him play continuously. A player will always want not to be ruled out but when he is telling you about his injury then you should take it very seriously. The medical panel did not take it seriously."
However, Moeen said that Hasan Ali was the best choice for Pakistan given Naseem's absence due to injury.
“The PCB officials should entrust them [the medical panel] with the work because we suffered a huge loss before the World Cup when Naseem was in form and bowling exceptionally. And that's why now we have to take Hasan Ali. Hasan Ali is an experienced bowler, who has gone through similar situations. From that perspective, this decision is appropriate and the selection of Hasan Ali is appropriate.”
