The right-arm pacer is currently being rehabbed.
Umar Gul, Pakistan’s fast-bowling coach, believes the team will be without pacer Naseem Shah during their upcoming Test tour of Australia.
Naseem Shah, 20, missed the ICC World Cup 2023 and will not be part of the squad for the series in Australia due to shoulder surgery.
The right-arm pacer is currently under rehabilitation and as per chief selector Wahab Riaz, he will hopefully be able to bowl at 50-60% after three weeks.
“Naseem Shah’s rehab is underway,” Umar Gul said on the first day of pre-tour camp at Pindi Cricket Stadium.
“His absence will be felt in Australia,” he added.
Meanwhile, the 41-year-old said the plans he hopes from the pacers in Australia.
Long spells of bowling are common in Test cricket. “We planned while keeping that in mind,” he added.
“During the camp, we will train at four different pitches.” “The conditions in Australia are difficult, and hard work is required,” Gul stated.
Gul, on the other hand, admitted that Pakistan’s World Cup performance fell short of expectations.
Remember that Shan Masood will lead the Pakistan team during the series, which begins with the first Test on December 14 in Perth.
Pakistan squad
Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafiq, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Nauman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed.
The squad assembled in Rawalpindi on November 22 for a training camp ahead of the tour. The camp will run till November 28.
The team will fly out on November 30 from Lahore.
Some additional players will also feature in the training camp. The players called for the camp are Arshad Iqbal, Kashif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir and Usman Qadir.
Shahnawaz Dahani is not fit enough to bowl and has been sent to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for rehabilitation.
Ali Shafique, Mohammad Ali and Sameen Gul have been called up to the training camp.
Pakistan’s Test tour schedule in Australia
First Test: December 14-18, Perth Stadium
Second Test: December 26-30, Melbourne Cricket Ground
Third Test: January 3-7, Sydney Cricket Ground