Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Moin Khan has criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) medical panel for the way they handled bowler Naseem Shah’s injury. The youngster suffered a shoulder injury during the Super 4 contest against India in the Asia Cup and was eventually ruled out of the World Cup after failing to recover on time for the marquee event.
Naseem Shah has been a vital bowler for Pakistan in all three formats and has continued playing cricket for the last 18 months. The youngster has played 14 ODI games for the Men in Green picking up 32 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 4.68 and would be a crucial miss for the team in the ODI World Cup in India.
Speaking with Cricket Pakistan, Moin Khan wasn’t satisfied with the way the pacer’s injury was treated by the PCB medical staff ahead of the ODI World Cup. He claimed that the team’s medical staff and physiotherapist were at fault for the injury. He also backed experienced Hasan Ali to come good in the marquee event.
“Naseem’s injury is a disaster for Pakistan’s team medical panel and physiotherapist. Because he has been constantly complaining that he is having problems for three to four months they were continuously playing him.
“A player would always wish to not get dropped but when he is telling you about his injury, you have to take it very seriously. The medical panel didn’t take it seriously. This was a recipe for disaster,” Moin Khan said.
“The authorities in PCB should task them [medical panel] because we suffered a great loss ahead of World Cup when Naseem was in form and was bowling extraordinarily. And which is why now we have to take Hassan Ali. Hassan Ali is an experienced bowler, who has been through similar circumstances. From that point of view, this decision is suitable and Hassan Ali’s selection is justified,” he added.
Hasan Ali has played 60 ODIs for Pakistan since his debut for the team in 2016, picking up 91 wickets at an average of 30.36. His last ODI appearance came in the home series in January 2023 against New Zealand in Karachi. Now, he would look to take the opportunity to perform for the team in place of Naseem Shah.
The Feedback Of Medical Panel In The Selection Is Essential – Moin Khan
Moin Khan feels that the medical team plays an important role in the team’s selection for the big tournament and believes that they must provide the captain with an idea about the workload management of the players. He asserted that it gives captain a fair idea for picking players for the mega-events.
“The feedback of the medical panel in the selection is essential. Particularly to the captain you have to manage a player’s workload. All of your players are talented. This shouldn’t be the approach that you will spend the rest of the year with the same combination, you cannot do that, it’s difficult,” Moin Khan further added.
Pakistan continues to produce some of the finest fast-bowling talents. The Men in Green played an important role in the team’s progress in the white-ball format of the game and the injuries to the key players would hurt their chances to some extent going into the World Cup in India.
