Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah to miss Asia Cup 2023 due to shoulder injury in LPL?

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In what would have come as a huge blow for Pakistan ahead of the Asia Cup 2023, the reports of Naseem Shah possibly missing the Asia Cup 2023 campaign due to a shoulder injury spread like a wildfire.

The 20-year-old pacer missed his side's Colombo Strikers' crucial match against Galle Titans on Tuesday, August 15 and that added fuel to the report which sent Pakistan fans into a state of shock.

Naseem Shah has been in sublime form recently. He picked nine wickets in two Test matches against Sri Lanka and displayed a superb spell of reverse swing bowling in the second Test match in Colombo.

In the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2023, he is the joint third-highest wicket-taker. He has picked 10 wickets in seven matches at an average of 19.40 and a strike rate of 7.32.

Notably, nine of the 13 matches to be played in the Asia Cup 2023 will be played in Sri Lanka and Pakistan are expected to benefit massively from the experience of Naseem who is playing in the island nation from the last month.

Will Naseem Shah miss the Asia Cup 2023?

However, the pacer has shunned the report himself. Various publications have quoted him as saying that the decision to sit out was taken due to fatigue and a precautionary major after consultation with the franchise alongside Pakistan captain Babar Azam, who is part of Colombo Strikers squad.

Several senior journalists have also refuted the report and confirmed that Naseem Shah will be fit and fine for Pakistan's upcoming three-match ODI series against Pakistan and the following Asia Cup 2023 which kick starts from August 3 in Multan. A few Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sources also confirmed that Naseem was sitting out just as a precautionary measure.

Moreover, Colombo have been eliminated from the LPL 2023 and their Pakistan players Babar, Naseem, Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz have some more time at hand to rest and come fresh on national duties.