Wisden

The independent voice of cricket

LIVE SCORES
Asia Cup 2023

Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan breath sigh of relief as Naseem Shah returns to bowl following shoulder injury scare

Naseem Shah
by Wisden Staff 2 minute read

Pakistan seamer Naseem Shah injured his bowling arm while diving to save a boundary during the Super Four game against Bangladesh in the 2023 Asia Cup, but returned soon after, much to the relief of his team.

Naseem, who forms a lethal pace trio with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, walked back to the dressing room for medical assistance and was in visible pain when he landed awkwardly on his shoulder near the boundary rope on Wednesday (September 6).

On the second ball of the sixth over, Shaheen bowled a delivery to Mohammad Naim which darted into his pads and raced away towards the fine leg boundary.

bet365

Naseem, fielding near the ropes, ran to his left in order to save the four before putting in a dive, but his shoulder ended up crashing into the ball in the process. Naseem tried to flick the ball away but his body was in touch with the ropes, and Bangladesh were awarded four runs in the end.

The bigger worry for the Pakistan team was Naseem, who lay with his face on the ground and in visible pain. He did not move for a while, sending the Pakistan camp and viewers into panic with the World Cup less than a month away.

Naseem was assisted by the medical staff, who helped him to his feet, but the bowler kept his face covered with his hands, indicating the level of distress he was in.

However, a few moments  later, he was seen rolling his arms over in the dugout and walked out to field within a few overs as well. He also bowled the 17th over of the innings after returning from the brief injury scare.

Earlier, Naseem had picked up the wicket of Mehidy Hasan Miraz, dismissing him for a golden duck.

Subscribe to the Wisden Cricket YouTube channel for post-match analysis, player interviews, and much more.

Have Your Say

Become a Wisden member

  • Exclusive offers and competitions
  • Money-can’t-buy experiences
  • Join the Wisden community
  • Sign up for free
LEARN MORE
Latest magazine

Get the magazine

12 Issues for just £39.99

SUBSCRIBE