Pakistan star Naseem Shah doesn’t let his father watch cricket, tells why

naseem shah He is a bowler whose talent has been appreciated by everyone. The 21-year-old Shah has played 17 Tests, 14 ODIs and 28 T20 matches so far. He is often seen as the next big thing in Pakistan cricket. However, Shah has now said that although his father is his biggest supporter, he does not let him watch matches. Pakistan fast bowler Shah said, “There is a lot going on behind the scenes in a cricketer’s life which people are not aware of.” Cricbuzz,

“Sometimes, you just look for little moments of happiness. My father is going through some health issues. There was a time when he didn’t know anything about cricket but now he watches every ball and gets sad when we lose. So, before every big match, I call my brothers to make sure our father doesn’t watch it. I fear it might lead to some major health complications. It (pressure) is like I am playing two matches simultaneously.”

He then spoke about the India vs Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup 2024, where his team failed to chase a modest target of 120 runs. Pakistan lost the match by six runs despite being 80/3 by the 14th over.

“There are a lot of emotions involved in such matches. I did not expect (the result to be like that). There are certain things that you keep to yourself. A lot was suppressed and a lot of things flashed before me at that moment… there have been very few moments in life when I have felt the need for someone who can talk to me positively.”

He said, “Although I was not targeted by fans or media, no one can be satisfied by saying I did my job after your team lost. I am a person who wants to win. I get disappointed even when I lose while playing at home or in my street. I play to win and getting out of the World Cup was very sad for me.”

Shah said that he wants to win the hearts of Pakistani fans by performing well on the cricket field.

“People come up to me in restaurants and ask why we lost. Even my relatives have asked me about it. I understand their emotions are fuelled by social media and as a player all I can do is listen to them.”

“There are times when you feel you can’t take it anymore. But, it also increases the desire to bounce back. People had a lot of questions to ask and there was a lot of disappointment, which is understandable. Now we have a chance to win hearts again by playing good cricket.”