The Pakistan cricket team arrived in India on Wednesday to participate in the 2023 World Cup and received a warm welcome in Hyderabad. Led by Babar Azam, the team spent a considerable amount of time in Hyderabad after departing from Dubai, where they had a lengthy nine-hour layover. Their journey began in Lahore in the early hours of Wednesday, and they reached Hyderabad during the night.
Pakistan’s schedule includes an initial warm-up match against New Zealand on September 29, followed by a clash with Australia on October 3. Their tournament opener is against the Netherlands in Hyderabad on October 6, with a subsequent match against Sri Lanka scheduled for October 10.
Pakistan’s squad announcement for the World Cup came later than most teams due to a significant injury setback just before the tournament. Star pacer Naseem Shah, a key part of Pakistan’s fast bowling trio alongside Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, suffered a shoulder injury during the Asia Cup and was subsequently ruled out of the prestigious tournament in India.
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Moin Khan has shed light on Naseem’s injury, revealing that the young pacer had been consistently complaining about the problem, but the medical team had not taken it seriously.
Moin expressed his frustration, stating, “Naseem’s injury is a disaster for Pakistan’s team medical panel and physiotherapist. He had been constantly complaining of the problem for three to four months, yet they continued to play him. When a player informs you about his injury, you have to take it very seriously. Unfortunately, the medical panel didn’t do so. This situation was a recipe for disaster.”
However, Moin acknowledged that Hasan Ali was the best choice to replace Naseem after his injury-forced withdrawal.
Moin suggested, “The authorities at PCB should hold them [the medical panel] accountable because we suffered a significant loss just before the World Cup when Naseem was in excellent form and bowling exceptionally well. Hence, we had to turn to Hasan Ali. Hasan Ali is an experienced bowler who has faced similar circumstances before. From that perspective, this decision is appropriate, and Hasan Ali’s selection is justified.”