(Source X)
Naseem Shah’s international cricket career has been truly extraordinary, yet the young fast bowler bears challenges beyond his on-field achievements.
Debuting for Pakistan at just 16, Naseem quickly made headlines by becoming the youngest fast bowler to take a five-wicket haul in Test cricket. He also impressed with a hat-trick at the age of 16 against both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Naseem Shah shares insights into his life and experiences outside of cricket.
Despite his impressive achievements, Naseem Shah has faced significant challenges, both personal and professional, including injuries that kept him out of the ODI World Cup in India last year. His five-year international career has been marred by such setbacks, yet he remains one of the world’s most skilled fast bowlers.
Ahead of the two-Test series against Bangladesh at home, Naseem shared that the emotional impact of watching his son’s performances has been difficult for his father. Initially indifferent to cricket, his father now closely follows every match due to Naseem’s involvement in the sport. Naseem noted that his father becomes distressed when Pakistan loses, so he tries to shield him from high-stakes games to ease his worries.
Naseem Shah discloses that his father is facing health problems.
The added pressure of his father’s delicate health places a heavy burden on Naseem Shah’s young shoulders. The young pacer feels compelled to manage his father’s exposure to high-stakes matches, worried that the emotional stress could worsen his father’s condition.
Naseem described this situation as if he’s playing two games simultaneously—one on the field and one within his heart. He acknowledged that a cricketer’s life is constantly under scrutiny and involves many unseen challenges. While the world witnesses the visible highs and lows of his career, few understand the personal struggles he faces off the field.
Amidst intense training, demanding matches, and the expectations of a nation, the 21-year-old pacer strives to find moments of joy and balance between his love for cricket and his family’s well-being.
Naseem Shah was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz: “My father is going through some health issues. There was a time when he did not know anything about cricket, but now he watches every ball and gets distressed when we lose. So, before every big game, I ring my brothers to make sure that our father doesn’t watch it.
I fear that it may lead to some bigger health complications. It [the pressure] is like I am playing two matches at once. There is a lot going on in a cricketer’s life behind the scenes about which people are not aware. At times, all you are searching for are small moments of happiness.”
Shah is set to take the field when Pakistan faces Bangladesh in the first Test of their two-match series, starting at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, August 21.
