Pakistan Cricket Board awards Naseem Shah with a central contract while dropping some names on their list.
17-year-old Naseem Shah had been included in Pakistan’s 18-member national contract list for 2020/2021. It can be recalled that Shah has debuted at the age of 16 last year in Australia and has become the youngest bowler to take a five-fer and a hat-trick in Test cricket.
With that performance, he has been formally signed up by the board along with new entrant Iftikhar Ahmed. As the two got signed up, three experienced pacers did not make it to the list. However, PCB said that these three seamers will still be included in the national side’s plans for the next year. These three players are Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, and Hasan Ali.
With regards to the selection process, Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq said, ‘The philosophy and criteria for this merit-based central contract list was simple and straightforward: the selectors reviewed player performances in the past 12 months and then looked ahead to our team requirements in the forthcoming 12 months’.
‘I am delighted for Naseem and Shaheen who have been well-rewarded for their outstanding performances. The two teenagers are the future of Pakistan cricket and I have no doubts that if they remain fit and stay focused, they will dominate world cricket for a long time’, he added.
The PCB is Pakistan’s governing body of cricket in the country and is mainly in charge of their cricket events which include the Pakistan Super League. To learn more about it, head over to Betwala.
READ MORE: What is the Pakistan Super League?
