Naseem Shah: “The wicket of Steve Smith means a lot to me and it has given me a lot of confidence”
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah said getting the wicket of Australia batting ace Steve Smith meant a lot to him and has given him a massive boost in confidence.
Naseem dismissed Smith in both innings of the third Test in Lahore.
He trapped him lbw in the first innings before having him caught behind in the second.
“The wicket of Steve Smith means a lot to me and it has given me a lot of confidence,” he was quoted as saying by A-Sports.
Overall, he finished with six wickets in two Tests at an average of 28.33.
As for Smith, he scored 226 runs in three Tests, which included three half-centuries, at an average of 56.50.
Naseem had been playing for Gloucestershire in the County Championship, but will be out of action for a month with a shoulder injury he picked up in his first match for the team.
He will remain in England to complete his rehabilitation and continue representing Gloucestershire when he fully recovers.
To compensate for the loss of the 19-year-old, Gloucestershire have signed Pakistan left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir on a three-match deal.
It will mark Amir’s return to red-ball cricket for the first time since August 2019 when he played a County Championship game for Essex.