AUS v PAK 2019: Not bothered about age talks, insists 16-year-old Naseem Shah before maiden tour

Australia and Pakistan are currently playing in a 3-match T20I series.

Naseem Shah set to make his debut at 16 for Pakistan this November | PCB

Pakistan has a new addition in a teenage Naseem Shah in their bowling attack for the Australia Tests, though, he is only 16 years old which made a lot of murmur among the cricket fraternity and fans in the country, but the paceman is not worried about his age talks.

While some are excited with the inclusion of Naseem in the Test squad for the Australia Test series with the hope for talent could be unearthed for Pakistan cricket, some felt that is like feeding lions, but the 16-year-old insisted that he is ready to embrace an opportunity of a lifetime for him on Kangaroos soil.

Naseem told media at an open media session organized by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in Lahore on Saturday (November 2), “I do not have any pressure from the fact that my age gets discussed so much. I do not think about my age. I only think of performing at the highest level.”

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Shah further insisted that he really doesn’t want to let himself be distracted by outside talks, especially about his age, rather, focus harder than ever on his cricket to make the most of this golden opportunity against the Aussies.

The teen bowler continued, “I am grateful to God that I am getting the chance to represent Pakistan at this age. This time though, I will work harder than usual so I could avail this chance.”

Shah also said that he is only focusing on unsettling Steve Smith and David Warner in the upcoming two-match Test series but is working on bowling well against the entire Aussie line-up when he was asked about his specific plan to deal with tourists’ star batsmen.

He signed off by saying, “It’s not that just the wickets of David Warner and Steve Smith are important. A bowler has to work hard for all the wickets and every wicket is important for him. [As a bowler] you only focus on bowling well.”

(With Geo New Inputs)

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 04 Nov, 2019

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