The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has declined a ‘No objection clearance’ certificate to their speedster Naseem Shah, for making his participation in the upcoming 2024 edition of the Hundred, which is going to start in the third week of July, and has been quite successful in the last few seasons.
The format is something weird. 100 balls in an innings- where the major cities across England and Wales participate to complete the tournament in which eight men’s and women’s teams feature.
Some reports have claimed that the decision to refuse the trip for Naseem Shah by the Pakistan Cricket Board management has come on the back of his recent fitness issues. Even though he was seen doing bowling practices and going through batting sessions in indoor net practice.
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Naseem Shah misses lucrative contract from Birmingham Phoenix
Naseem Shah had signed a delicious contract for the Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred, before withdrawing from the tournament at the last moment. The young pacer was included in the £125,000 category, as his absence from the league won’t help it in the financial stability.
Another Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has already been on the list who could miss a part of the league after he decided to turn up for the Global T20 league in Canada.
Naseem Shah had a very good time in the last Men’s T20 World Cup, despite his team’s collective poor performance with the ball. He ended with five wickets in three innings, at an average of under 15 and an economy rate of under six, with a best bowling figure of 3/21.
When it comes to the overall record in the shortest format of the game, the 21-year-old has picked up 111 wickets in 107 T20 innings at an economy rate of 7.78 with an average of under 28 and a strike rate of 22, while his national side, Pakistan have made him play in 27 T20Is, where he has collected 24 scalps at an economy rate of 7.69.
It’s quite surprising that the board has declined the NOC of the pacer, who in the past has talked about how these leagues have helped him to grow in the format, and get more advice.
During the last season, Naseem Shah was part of the T20 Blast games, where he featured in four games for Leicestershire and showed his accuracy to pick up three wickets at an economy rate of 7.46.
‘This short stint with Leicestershire Foxes was amazing. Last year, I played quite a lot of cricket in all formats and also in the country. I was not permitted by my physio to play gain for a full season to manage my workload.’ The fast bowler expressed to Geo News in an interview.
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He also continued to say how the opportunity has helped him to understand the conditions and he can focus on other factors too.
The Hundred 2024 will begin on July 23, at the Kennington Oval, in London, between the Oval Invincibles and Birmingham Phoenix, while the final of the competition will be held at Lord’s on August 18. Pakistan will face Bangladesh in a two-match Test series at home, starting on August 21, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.