Naseem Shah’s father Abbas Shah recalled that the pacer used to tell his mother when she was alive that one day he’ll play for Pakistan. The 19-year-old pacer, who made his Pakistan T20I debut in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022, has impressed one and all with his pace and swing.
He also helped Pakistan qualify for the final by hitting two sixes in two balls in the last over the chase against Afghanistan in the Super 4s match. The 19-year-old has claimed 6 wickets in 4 matches at an economy rate of 7.
Naseem’s father Abbas Shah opened up on the struggles the Pakistan pacer faced during his childhood days and said nobody supported him except his brother.
“I beat Naseem many times for playing cricket, asking him to focus on his studies instead. None of us supported Naseem, only his brother would secretly give him money. When his mother was alive, he used to say that one day I will play for Pakistan. We used to laugh saying how will a man from Dir join the Pakistan team,” Naseem’s father told a Pakistan TV channel.
His father revealed that Naseem still remembers his mother a lot and says she would have been extremely happy to see him play for his country.
“He thinks of her and cries a lot. He says if mother was here, she would have been very happy to see me in the Pakistan kit," he added.
Abbas also said that he prayed a lot for his son in the crucial match against Afghanistan and said that it was like a dream that Pakistan won that match from that position.
(News18 inputs)
