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Former Test pacer Tanvir Ahmed has come down hard on the selection committee for picking Naseem Shah in the national squad despite his lacklustre performance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10.
In a recent interview on a local sports platform, Tanvir didn’t mince his words when scrutinising Naseem’s selection for the T20I series against Bangladesh, a series in which the pacer didn’t even play a single game.
“If you picked Naseem Shah for the Bangladesh series and didn’t play him, then why was he picked?” Tanvir asked.
“His performance in the PSL was completely poor. Just look at his fitness level, his run-up while running, and his energy. He’s not even putting in any effort. He has injury issues, so how did he make it into the team?”
Tanvir Ahmed also hinted at potential favouritism, suggesting Naseem’s association with Islamabad United may have influenced the decision-makers.
“That’s why people are talking — saying it’s Islamabad United’s influence,” he said.
“When your head coach and other selected players are also linked to the same franchise, then questions will naturally be raised.”
He further pointed out how consistent performers like Mir Hamza and Mohammad Abbas Afridi were overlooked, despite being in top form.
“On merit, Naseem Shah doesn’t deserve to be in the team right now,” Tanvir Ahmed asserted.
“In the PSL, Mir Hamza was performing really well, so why wasn’t he selected? Abbas Afridi was ignored too, and only brought in when Wasim Jr got injured.”
For the unversed, Naseem Shah had a modest PSL 10 campaign, managing just nine wickets in 10 matches with an economy rate of 9.30.
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