Naseem Shah expresses distress over personal criticism from former players

Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah has expressed his disappointment over remarks made by former players amid the team’s poor performance, emphasizing how such comments can impact the players’ morale.

In a special Eid show released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Naseem and Fakhar were asked by the host, former pacer Wahab Riaz, about the reaction from fans and former cricketers when the Pakistan team is on the losing side.

“As a fan, if you watch cricket and someone says something that doesn’t make sense to you, you might think, ‘it’s okay, this person has never played cricket, ” said Naseem.

“When we go home, even our own brothers sometimes make comments that make us say, ‘Yeah, okay, they’ve never played cricket,” Naseem added.

Naseem Shah welcomed critical feedback on players’ performances but emphasized refraining from personal remarks.

“When it comes to players who have actually played cricket for 10-15 years, you can discuss their performance—talk about how someone isn’t bowling well, isn’t batting well, or what mistakes they’re making. That’s fine,” said Naseem.

“You can analyze what can be improved. However, I feel that getting too personal—commenting on how someone styles their hair or how they speak—crosses the line. These things hit personally,” he added.

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The 22-year-old views echo Fakhar Zaman, who highlighted the importance of respecting former cricketers amid harsh remarks.

Fakhar stated that when you’re playing, you’re often unaware of what people are saying. He quoted his injury instance during the Champions Trophy.

“When I was unfit during the Champions Trophy, I had time to observe and see what people were saying.”

“When you leave cricket and enter the media, I understand it’s your bread and butter. However, when you start criticizing the very thing that gave you the opportunity to sit on TV, you can’t expect to be successful in that field,” he remarked.

Fakhar Zaman stated that if someone who has played cricket offers criticism aimed at improving him, he takes it very positively and holds that person in high regard.

“If someone who has played cricket criticizes me fairly, I take it very positively and I have much more respect for that person, ” said Zaman

“But if someone makes personal remarks unrelated to my batting or playing ability, believe me, in my heart, that person earns less respect,” he concluded.

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