While acknowledging that losing Shaheen Shah Afridi to injury ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup 2022 is a "big setback," Pakistan head coach Saqlain Mushtaq is confident in the team’s bowling attack to perform admirably in the tournament.
Shaheen was initially named in Pakistan's Asia Cup squad but he failed to recover in time from a knee injury that he sustained while fielding during the first Test against Sri Lanka last month, which eventually ruled him out of the multi-nation tournament.
“Obviously, losing Shaheen is a big setback to us before the tournament and for the England series because he is someone who has proven himself at the top level and done well against the best batsmen," Saqlain said.
“It is never easy to replace a player like Shaheen because of his quality but the resources we have are good and we are backing them to deliver for us,” he added.
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He backed young pacer Naseem Shah to rise up to the occasion in the Asia Cup. Naseem impressed everyone with his performance in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against Netherlands.
“Naseem, I see as a star in the making because of the control, aggression, attitude, and execution he has displayed in his bowling. He has been very impressive for us," he stated.
The former cricketer said that Naseem turned the match in its head with his bowling and helped the team win the third ODI by 9 runs.
“He (Naseem) changed the course of the match and the other bowlers supported him well.
“His (Afridi’s) injury is unfortunate but we are hoping he recovers soon as we have important cricket coming up."
Young fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain was chosen by Pakistan selectors on Monday (August 22) to replace Shaheen for the Asia Cup 2022 in UAE.
The head coach further claimed that the Men in Green have a strong bowling arsenal that could compete with any team.
“We are covered in all bases and though the fast bowlers are not that experienced but they have plenty of confidence and spirit."
When asked about the criticism over the selection of the team, he responded: “Performance is something which can happen or not happen but we look at the attitude, hard work in the nets, mental approach, and a player’s work ethics before deciding to play him."
(PTI INPUTS)
