Pakistan captain, Babar Azam, has shed light on the recovery timeline of fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, assuring fans that both players are likely to be fit for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Both Naseem and Rauf suffered niggling injuries during Pakistan’s Super Four clash against India at the 2023 Asia Cup. Consequently, they were sidelined for the crucial match against Sri Lanka in Colombo, which ultimately led to Pakistan’s exit from the tournament on Thursday.
Speaking at the post-match presser, Babar expressed optimism about the swift return of the two key pacers to the national squad. However, when discussing Naseem’s recovery, Babar was more cautious, admitting that he didn’t have an exact timeframe for the young fast bowler’s return.
‘Haris Rauf’s [injury] is not bad. He just has a little bit of side strain, but he will recover before the World Cup. I don’t exactly know how long Naseem Shah’s recovery will take. In my opinion, Naseem Shah will also be in the World Cup later on, but let’s see,” Babar said.
It is important to note that inexperienced duo Zaman Khan and Shahnawaz Dahani deputized for the injured duo during that match and could be in contention to play at the World Cup should Naseem and Rauf not recover in time.
