Mahela Jayawardene: “They did not back Naseem too much in the white-ball format but lately, with a lot of cricket being played, he has come of age and the control that he has shown, especially with the new ball, picking up wickets that’s the key element”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Sri Lanka batsman Mahela Jayawardene said Pakistan have got to keep backing fast bowler Naseem Shah as he has “come of age” and started taking wickets regularly in all three formats.
Naseem started off only playing Test cricket, but after getting the opportunity to feature in ODIs and T20Is, he has shown that he is capable of being a useful asset.
In the T20 World Cup, he finished with three wickets in seven matches at an average of 54 and an economy rate of 6.23.
Currently, he is representing his country in the three-Test series against England.
The 19-year-old took five wickets in the first Test in Rawalpindi, which Pakistan lost by 74 runs.
“They did not back Naseem too much in the white-ball format but lately, with a lot of cricket being played, he has come of age and the control that he has shown, especially with the new ball, picking up wickets that’s the key element,” Jayawardene was quoted as saying by respected journalist Saq Sadiq on Twitter.
The second Test between Pakistan and England begins on Friday in Multan.
Pakistan’s Squad for England Test Series: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Ali, Shan Masood, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Saud Shakeel, Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed