Pakistan handed nightmarish blow as injured Naseem Shah set to miss entire ODI World Cup

Pakistan have been handed a nightmarish blow less than three weeks before that start of their ODI World Cup campaign in India as fast bowler Naseem Shah has been all but ruled out of the tournament owing to a shoulder injury he had incurred during an Asia Cup match. Reports suggested that scans had revealed an injury to his right shoulder, but it has now turned worse than initially suspected.

According to ESPNCricinfo, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) want a second opinion, but scans from a test in Dubai reveal that Naseem could be out for the remainder of the year. If the the secondary results indicate the same, the youngster could be staring at a layoff spanning several months which implies that he will not only miss the World Cup, but also the Test series in Australia and the 2024 Pakistan Super League season as well.

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Naseem had incurred a shoulder injury during Pakistan's Super Four game against India last week when he had walked off the middle of the 46th over. The report added that the injury incurred is not a reoccurrence of any previous injuries.

PCB are likely to make an official statement on the injury based on the secondary test results in a few days. He was replaced by Zaman Khan in Pakistan's final Super Four game last week against Sri Lanka, while the team also has Mohammad Hasnain as a possible replacement, but is also injured.

Naseem did significantly increase his workload sincse coming back from a back injury 18 months back. In the ODI circuit, he has been Pakistan's most potent weapon, having picked 32 wickets in 14 matches at just 17. Moreover, he has been in demand across he T20 leagues globally, having recently participated in LPL and has now been drafted in for SA20 league next year.