Will Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah be part of World Cup team? Babar Azam clears the air

ISLAMABAD: National cricket team captain Babar Azam has cast doubt on Naseem Shah’s recovery in time for Pakistan’s opening matches at the upcoming World Cup in India.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not disclosed any timeline for Naseem’s return from a right shoulder injury, leaving uncertainty about his availability at the start of the tournament next month.

In contrast, there is more optimism surrounding the fitness of Haris Rauf, who is nursing a side strain. Pakistan had not officially ruled him out of the Asia Cup or officially included his replacement, Shahnawaz Dahani, in the squad. After Pakistan’s last-ball defeat and elimination from the Asia Cup at the hands of Sri Lanka, Babar expressed confidence in Rauf’s chances of playing in the World Cup. However, he appeared less certain about Naseem’s full availability.

Speaking post-match after Pakistan’s last-ball defeat and elimination from the Asia Cup at Sri Lanka’s hands, Babar remained guarded about backup plans but did offer insights into their prospects when questioned about Pakistan’s contingency plans if Naseem and Rauf were unavailable.

“I’ll inform you later,” he stated. “I’m not revealing our Plan B now. However, I can say that Haris Rauf’s condition isn’t severe. He’s recovering from a minor side strain and should be ready for the World Cup. As for Naseem Shah, they’ve missed a couple of matches, and I’m not sure about the recovery timeline, but in my opinion, Naseem Shah will also be part of the World Cup later on. Let’s see.”

The PCB has not provided details about the extent of Naseem’s injury. He is currently in Dubai undergoing scans for the muscle injury beneath his right shoulder, an injury he appeared to sustain while bowling against India. He left the field during his over and was subsequently ruled out of the tournament. Rauf also didn’t bowl on that day due to his side issue, and Pakistan rested him as a precaution with the World Cup on the horizon.

Naseem, at just 20 years old, has faced injury challenges early in his career. A back injury sidelined him for 14 months when he was 17 years old, one year into his international career. Upon his return, he suffered a shoulder injury during his County Championship debut with Gloucestershire, keeping him out for another month.

Over the past 18 months, his workload has increased significantly. Initially a red-ball specialist, Naseem has become a crucial bowler for Pakistan in all formats. Since making his ODI debut, he has been Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker with 32 wickets in 14 matches, averaging under 17.

In the absence of the two fast bowlers, Pakistan fielded Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Zaman Khan in their must-win game against Sri Lanka. However, they struggled to take wickets, conceding 64 runs in their combined nine overs as Sri Lanka narrowly secured victory.

Pakistan’s squad is set to return home from Sri Lanka on Friday, via Dubai.