ISLAMABAD: Naseem Shah is adopting a forward-looking appro­ach after the Pakistan’s disastrous T20 World Cup campaign and the pacer wants every stakeholder of the team to take on the forthcoming challenges with “clear hear and intentions”.

Pakistan were eliminated in the first round of the tournament, wh­ich saw them shocked by co-hosts United States before arch-rivals and eventual champions In­d­ia effectively knocked them out.

The defeats came amid reports of internal politics and grouping within the national squad, while Pakistan’s dropping fitness and skill levels were evident through the showpiece.

The national side will regather for the first time since the debacle when they take on Bangladesh for two Test matches on home turf from Aug 21-25 and Aug 30-Sept 3.

For Naseem, who will make his Test return after a 13-month-long injury absence, it is time for himself and his team-mates to move on from the past and unite for a better future.

“... if we keep the past in mind, things will become very difficult,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a training camp ahead of the Bang­ladesh series here at the Islamabad Club. “You can’t ignore the fact that we played poorly [in the T20 World Cup] and hence faced criticism.

“But as a nation, we need to find joy in each other’s successes and have a clear heart and intentions. Moving forward, we should be focused on the upcoming challenges. I believe that when we are united and focused, we can play good cricket and achieve success.”

The Bangladesh series will provide Pakistan an opportunity to start again. Their calendar until April next year is packed and inclu­des crucial series against England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies and New Zealand.

But before the season culminates in April next year, Pakistan will host the ICC Champions Trophy in Febr­uary-March. Nas­eem said the national team players needed to gel in with each other if they are to go for glory in the eight-team tournament.

“Everyone regrets and realises what went wrong, and we need to understand how to improve and play better cricket,” the 21-year-old noted. “With the Champions Trophy coming up, we need to present a united and strong team. It should be clear to everyone that we are working towards better performance.”

While showing no hesitance in admitting that Pakistan put up a poor show in the T20 World Cup, Naseem believed the team should self-reflect on the errors it made and the weaknesses it showed during the tournament and look to rectify them.

“We must admit that we haven’t played good cricket,” he observed. “Various issues such as skill, team bonding, and others come into play. We need to realise where we went wro­ng and work on those areas to improve.”

Naseem has been included in the Pakistan Shaheens squad for the first of the two four-day-match series against Bangladesh ‘A’, which will precede the two Test between the senior sides of both countries.

The Shaheens matches will facilitate Naseem with the opportunity to regain his game form following a long time away from the red-ball format and the bowler said he was looking forward to playing against Bangladesh ‘A’ next week,

“I haven’t played [recently], and obviously, Test cricket and international matches come with their own pressure and preparation,” he said. “So, I’ve prepared quite a bit, bowled a lot.

“Now, this is a good opportunity to play a match here, and I’ll get some practice.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has adopted a strict policy regarding managing fast bowlers’ workload. It has gone on to strip Shaheen Shah Afridi from the Test vice-captaincy to ensure the policy is implemented properly.

Naseem, however, said he hadn’t received any special instructions from Test team head coach Jason Gillespie or someone from his staff over workload management.

“At the moment, no specific plan has been given about what to do or what not to do,” he revealed. “But as a professional, I know that it’s not easy after a long time.

“No matter how many practice matches you play, there’s a huge difference between that and international Test matches.”

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2024