Naseem Shah is “hopeful” for a win in the South Africa match

KARACHI: Pakistan’s right-arm pacer, Naseem Shah, expressed confidence on Monday in the national team’s ability to perform well in their upcoming tri-nation ODI series match against South Africa, set to take place at the National Bank Stadium on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media during the team’s training session at the newly renovated venue, Naseem acknowledged that the team did not execute their plans as expected in the series opener against New Zealand.

However, he expressed belief that the bowling unit would perform better in the next match.

“As a fast bowler, you can’t think negatively after just one match. In the last two series, our fast bowlers performed exceptionally well in Australia and South Africa,” Naseem said.

“While our execution wasn’t ideal in the last game, as athletes, we learn from these experiences. I have full faith in the bowling unit, and I believe we’ll do well in the upcoming matches and improve on our shortcomings by giving our best.”

When asked about his thoughts on the squad for the ongoing tri-nation ODI series and the highly anticipated ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, Naseem emphasized that all the selected players have the potential to lead the team to victory.

“Whatever team is selected, as a player, I focus on the positive aspects, and I believe everyone has the ability to win the tournament by playing their best cricket,” Naseem remarked.

For those unaware, Pakistan’s tri-nation ODI series campaign got off to a rough start as they suffered a heavy 78-run defeat in the opening match against New Zealand on Saturday.

The hosts are now hoping for a win by New Zealand in the ongoing match against South Africa, which would make their upcoming fixture against the Proteas a virtual semi-final.

However, if South Africa defeats New Zealand, Pakistan’s qualification becomes more complicated. They would not only need to beat the Proteas but also ensure their net run rate surpasses that of the other two teams to reach the final.

Pakistan squad for the tri-nation series and Champions Trophy 2025:

Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.