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Jason Gillespie, the newly appointed head coach of the Pakistan Test team, has extended an invitation to Arshad Nadeem, the gold medalist in javelin throw from the Paris Olympics. Gillespie believes that having Nadeem share his Olympic triumph with the team would provide an incredible boost.
Nadeem’s historic achievement at the 2024 Olympics was met with widespread enthusiasm from the cricket squad. “We’d be thrilled to have Arshad Nadeem visit the dressing room. I noticed our players cheering him on during the Games. Having him come by and show off his gold medal would really energize the team, especially with the Olympic spirit still fresh. It was a remarkable achievement, and we warmly invite him to join us,” Gillespie expressed during a conversation on the PCB Podcast.
Arshad Nadeem made a remarkable mark at the Paris Olympics with a throw exceeding 86 meters to advance to the final. In the final, he set an Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 meters, earning the gold medal and becoming Pakistan’s first Olympic medalist since the 1992 Barcelona Games. He continued to impress with another impressive throw of 91.79 meters during the same Olympics.
Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood believes that Nadeem’s historic achievement will serve as a powerful source of inspiration for the cricket team, driving them to elevate their performance for their country.
“I don’t see it as pressure but as a privilege. Representing Pakistan is a huge honour, and every day we play is a privilege. We should feel extremely proud and grateful to represent our country. Arshad Nadeem’s success motivates us to seize our opportunity to do something good for Pakistan,” Shan Masood was quoted as saying.
The Pakistan cricket team is focused on achieving success in the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle. Their next challenge is a two-match Test series against Bangladesh, set to begin on August 21.
Saud Shakeel will take on the vice-captaincy for the upcoming series against Bangladesh. Additionally, the pace attack will be bolstered by the inclusion of Naseem Shah and Mohammad Ali in the squad.
Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal (subject to Fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Afridi
