Babar Azam: “The number of skills he has, you don’t get a talent like this very often in Pakistan”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Limited overs captain Babar Azam said “you don’t get a talent” like fast bowler Naseem Shah “very often in Pakistan.”
Naseem is arguably the best-performing fast bowler in the country as he has continued his exceptional run of form after returning from a shoulder injury.
The 21-year-old recently helped Islamabad United win the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL) as he took 15 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 22.20 and an economy rate of 7.56.
“The number of skills he has, you don’t get a talent like this very often in Pakistan. There are others too, like Shaheen [Afridi], he has his own class, he is experienced and Naseem is on Shaheen’s path [in terms of experience],” Azam was quoted as saying by Geo Super.
In PSL 9, Azam captained the Peshawar Zalmi and finished as the highest run-scorer with 569 runs in 11 games, which included a century and five fifties, at an average of 56.90 and a strike-rate of 142.60.
He is now leading Pakistan in their five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which will be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore until April 27.
Pakistan Squad for New Zealand T20I Series: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Zaman Khan
Non-travelling reserves: Haseebullah Khan, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha
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