Rashid Latif: “I have concerns over the form of Shaheen, Naseem and others and I feel they have not performed as expected”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has expressed his concerns about fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, saying their performances have fallen short of expectations.
Afridi and Naseem are Pakistan’s first-choice seamers and are expected to take wickets, especially when bowling with the new ball.
Recently, they took part in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL), with Afridi captaining the Lahore Qalandars and finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 19 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 16.42 and an economy rate of 7.76.
As for Naseem, he played for Islamabad United and claimed nine wickets in 10 games at an average of 40.33 and an economy rate of 9.30.
Considering how up and down their past performances have been, including prior to the PSL, Latif feels they need to step up and re-establish themselves as Pakistan’s premier speedsters.
“I have concerns over the form of Shaheen, Naseem and others and I feel they have not performed as expected,” he was quoted as saying by NDTV.
After PSL 10, Afridi and Naseem did not feature in the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in Lahore and the T20I tour of Bangladesh.
Afridi returned to the T20I team for the tour of the West Indies and claimed two wickets in two matches at an average of 29 and an economy rate of 7.25.
Following this, both Afridi and Naseem took part in the three-match ODI series, with the former picking up four wickets in two games at an average of 21.50.
As for Naseem, he ended up with five wickets in two matches at an average of 25.40.
Pakistan Squad for West Indies T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem
Pakistan Squad for West Indies ODI Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem