Pakistan head coach Saqlain Mushtaq on Monday said losing injured Shaheen Shah Afridi for the upcoming Asia Cup is a “big setback” but backed his bowling unit to deliver the goods in the continental tournament.
Saqlain backed Nassem Shah to perform in the Asia Cup after the right-arm pacer shone bright in the three-match ODI series against the Netherlands in Rotterdam. “Obviously, losing Shaheen is a big setback to us before the tournament and for the England series because he is someone who has proven himself at the top level and done well against the best batsmen,” Saqlain said.
“It is never easy to replace a player like Shaheen because of his quality but the resources we have are good and we are backing them to deliver for us.
Pakistan selectors on Monday named young fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain as a replacement for Afridi for the Asia Cup to be held in the UAE.
Saqlain, a former Test off-spinner, said overall Pakistan had a compact bowling attack capable of doing well against all teams.
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