‘They have a couple of miss matches’ - Babar Azam hints Naseem Shah’s absence in early stages of ODI World Cup

Pakistan were left stunned as Dasun Shanaka-led Sri Lanka put forth a brilliant performance and eliminated them from the Asia Cup 2023 after their recently concluded Super Four clash. However, with their elimination from the Asia Cup, Pakistan will be shifting their focus to the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 in India, which is scheduled to begin on October 5.

With the World Cup around the corner, the team will have a few issues to deal with. One of them is the injury concern across the squad. Star pacer Haris Rauf has been nursing a side issue and did not play for Pakistan in the latter stages of the Asia Cup. Furthermore, Naseem Shah’s shoulder injury could be another cause of concern for Pakistan.

Speaking of the same, skipper Babar Azam took centre stage and talked of the injury situations in Pakistan’s lineup. Speaking of Haris Rauf, Babar opined that he should recover in time for the World Cup and that it is nothing major. However, Naseem Shah could miss the early stages of the tournament. 

"I'll tell you later, not telling you our Plan B now. But yes, Haris Rauf is not bad. He's just got a little bit of a side strain, but he's recovering before the World Cup. Naseem Shah also... they have a couple of miss matches, I don't know [how long] the recovery [is], but in my opinion, Naseem Shah also [will be] in the World Cup later on. But let's see," Babar Azam was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

The injuries to the star pacers could prove costly for Pakistan during the World Cup. It is worth noting that Naseem is currently in Dubai undergoing scans. The PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) has not yet informed of Naseem’s injury situation or his possible return. Pakistan’s squad will be returning home on Friday, September 15, via Dubai, and it could be interesting to see whether Naseem Shah and Haris Raauf will be available for the early stages of the World Cup.