File photo of Naseem Shah© Twitter
Naseem Shah is one bowler whose talent has been appreciated by all. The 21-year-old has already played 17 Tests, 14 ODIs and 28 T20Is. He is often looked up as the next big thing in Pakistan cricket. However, Shah has now said that though his father is his biggest supporter he does not let him watch matches. "There is a lot going on in a cricketer's life behind the scenes about which people are not aware," the Pakistan speedtster Shah told Cricbuzz.
"At times, all you are searching for are small moments of happiness. My father is going through some health issues. There was a time when he did not know anything about cricket, but now he watches every ball and gets distressed when we lose. So, before every big game, I ring my brothers to make sure that our father doesn't watch it. I fear that it may lead to some bigger health complications. It [the pressure] is like I am playing two matches at once."
He then went on to talk about the India vs Pakistan match at the T20 World Cup 2024 where his team failed to chase down a meagre target of 120. Pakistan lost the match by six runs despite being 80/3 in by the 14th over.
"There are a lot of emotions attached with such matches. I did not expect [the result to turn out how it did]. There are some things that you keep to yourself. A lot had pent-up and a lot of things flashed in front of me at that point... There have been very few moments in life when I have felt the need to have someone who can talk positively to me."
"Though I was not being targeted by the fans or the media, one cannot be satisfied and say I did my bit after your team loses. I am a person who wants to win. I get disappointed even when I lose while playing at home or in my street. I play to win and the World Cup exit pained me a lot."
Shah added he wants to win back Pakistan fans' hearts with some good show on the cricket field.
"People come up to me in restaurants and ask me why we lost. Even my relatives have asked about it. I understand their sentiments are driven by the social media and, as a player, all I can do is listen to them.
"There are times when you feel that you cannot put up with it anymore. But, it also burns a desire for a comeback. People had many questions to ask and there was a lot of frustration in them, which is understandable. Now, we have an opportunity to win the hearts again by playing good cricket."