I play to win, So my World Cup elimination hurt a lot: Naseem Shah

Pakistan’s chances of making it to the Super Eights of the tournament were all but eliminated after they fell to their bitter rivals, India, in their subsequent match in the T20 World Cup. Pakistan had lost their opening match against the USA. After that, teammate Shaheen Shah Afridi was seen comforting star pacer Naseem Shah as he sobbed on the field.

There was still a chance for Pakistan to qualify after their loss to India, but sadly, things didn’t work out in their favour, leaving them quite disappointed. Speaking about the incident before the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, Naseem said that the World Cup exit pained him and that he dislikes losing games. He continued by saying that when the diners and even his family questioned him about the cause of the loss, the cricket player was at a loss for an explanation.

“One cannot be pleased and say I did my bit after your team loses, even though I was not singled out by the supporters or the media. I’m a competitive person. Even when I lose when playing on my street or at home, I still feel let down. I play to win, so I was very hurt by my World Cup exit,” Naseem said.

“People ask me why we lost when they approach me at restaurants. My family have enquired about it as well. I recognise that their opinions are shaped by social media, and as a participant, all I can do is pay attention to them,” he continued.

We have a chance to win them over once more by playing excellent cricket: Naseem Shah

Naseem Shah added that players were frustrated, and that frustration increased in response to fan criticism. The 21-year-old did, however, accept their dejection and said it inspired the players to make a more valiant comeback.

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There are moments when you feel like giving up is the only option. However, it also stokes the yearning for a resurgence. It makes sense that people were really frustrated and had a lot of questions to ask. We now have a chance to earn the hearts back by playing excellent cricket,” Naseem, the quick bowler, said in closing.