Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal has expressed concern over Naseem Shah’s comments ahead of the first Test match against Bangladesh. He said the fast bowler’s comments gave a hint that the team was not playing together and the PCB should take action.
The Test series between Pakistan and Bangladesh will begin in a few days. The series will also mark the return of Naseem Shah to Test cricket as he has not been involved in this format for a while due to his injury.
Naseem Shah would be keen to make a successful comeback in the Test and the series will also be a great opportunity for the Pakistan team to make a comeback. They have been through tough times lately as they suffered quite a few horrendous defeats.
Naseem Shah, ahead of the Test series, during the training session, spoke about the tough time the team is going through and said that they now need to play as a team. Speaking to Geo News, the fast bowler said:
“Yes, our comeback was not very good and we cannot deny that we did not play good cricket. Criticism is part of it and we have to bear it until things improve. This is a good opportunity to recover, play better and show that we are a team.”
Responding to Naseem Shah’s comments, Kamran Akmal said that his statement was a worrying sign for him. He questioned whether the team was playing together or not. He stressed that such comments are made when things are not going well. In a video posted on his YouTube channel, he explained:
“Naseem Shah, what he said in the media, is a bit of a worrying point for me. We will have to play as one. What does that mean? Was the team not playing with unity before? Such things are said in the media when there are such things in the team. So let’s see. The team management and the PCB should put an end to what Naseem Shah said in the media or what he said in the media. I heard it before.
“God forbid such things do not happen. And what the team needs right now is only those who can take cricket to the highest level, that is just a win, good cricket with good intentions. And this is a good opportunity for Pakistan. Pakistan has a series with Bangladesh. They should win 2-0 like they did when they visited Bangladesh.
“So, Pakistan team should not take batting so easy. But we will have to work hard. Because in the recent past, we have not played good cricket.”
The Test match series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is scheduled to take place next week. The first match will be played in Rawalpindi from August 21 while the second match is scheduled to be played in Karachi on August 30. The two matches will also be part of the ICC World Test Championship and the Shan Masood-led team will want to come back and give something to cheer the fans up.
