Naseem Shah: “I am not the chief selector; I cannot bring my brothers into the team”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah has made it clear that he didn’t force Islamabad United to pick his younger brothers Hunain Shah and Ubaid Shah for the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Hunain and Ubaid are two of the brightest pace prospects in Pakistan and both of them will now play alongside Naseem for Islamabad United in PSL 9.
The franchise picked Hunain and Ubaid in the Emerging Category of the PSL draft, but Naseem reiterated that he played no part in the team’s selection strategy.
“I am not the chief selector; I cannot bring my brothers into the team,” he was quoted as saying by Geo Super.
Naseem has been out of action for a few months as he is recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered during the Asia Cup.
As a result of the injury, he missed the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup and Pakistan’s three-match Test series against Australia, which they lost 3-0.
Naseem also hasn’t been picked for Pakistan’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which begins on January 12 in Auckland.
PSL 9 will be played from February 17 to March 17 in Lahore, Multan, Karachi and Rawalpindi.
Pakistan Squad for New Zealand T20I Series: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan (wicketkeeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan