In the net session on Thursday at the ICC Academy in Dubai, Naseem Shah, a pace bowler for Pakistan who shook up India in the first game before suffering from cramps in his left leg, was spotted with his leg taped up.

After quick bowling practice at the nets, his left leg was taped up and he cautiously went about.

 

Pakistan lost by five wickets to India in their first game of the Asia Cup 2022 and will face Hong Kong in a theoretical knockout match on Friday night. The team was bowled out for 147 against Rohit Sharma’s men, and the target was relinquished with two balls remaining.

Pakistan bowler Naseem Shah and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan both suffered cramps while bowling, with the former failing to make an impact in the last overs due to cramping.

Naseem Shah went slowly around the nets after short bowling session:

After a brief bowling session at the nets, he walked about cautiously while his left leg was taped up. Videos show the support employee guiding him through the next steps once he completes his action.

He had pulled up during his third over against India, which was the 15th of the inning, with what at first glance appeared to be cramping. It first became apparent when he removed Suryakumar Yadav’s off stump in that over. As he started to hobble and grimace a little on follow through, he was unable to even celebrate.

 

 

In the chase’s 18th over, he made a return for his last over. He had a successful lbw challenge against Ravindra Jadeja off the fourth delivery, but DRS reversed it because the ball had pitched outside leg. But he kept bowling and completed the over before walking off.

He then appeared to be in tears as Pakistani support staff consoled him as he left the field. Its videos quickly became popular on Pakistani social media.

Pakistan Vs Hong Kong

Pakistan and Hong Kong will face off in a must-win Asia Cup Group A match at the Sharjah Cricket Ground in Sharjah on Friday. The winner of the game will progress to the Super 4 stage, along with Afghanistan, India and Sri Lanka, who have already qualified for the last four.

There may be limited cricketing or historical evidence to suggest Hong Kong could mount a serious challenge to a side with Pakistan’s firepower, but they will be well aware a knockout in the shortest format presents a golden opportunity to spring an upset. Against India, it was the bowling that let them down, even if a spirited batting performance demonstrated the threat the side can pose.

Babar Hayat, Zeeshan Ali and Scott McKechnie provided the big hitting, while Ayush Shukla, Ehsan Khan and Yasim Murtaza kept things tight, allowing just 82 runs in their 12 combined overs.

Pakistan, however, might feel this game plays into their hands to some extent. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan do not come flying out of the blocks, but the template they follow was similar to one that India executed against Hong Kong on Wednesday.

They opened their innings conservatively, before the middle order put the bowlers to the sword, smashing 98 in the final seven overs. And while India’s approach may have been a game plan tailored to the opposition they were facing, scoring their big runs in the final overs is how Pakistan play anyway against nearly all opposition.

And so we have what we often cry out for, a T20I outside the World Cup with something on the line. It might, on paper, be a mismatch, but across the tableau of relatively context-free bilateral T20Is, it is rare to find a game with as much riding on it as Pakistan against Hong Kong on Friday.

It’s a game Hong Kong will savour, but they will tell themselves it might just be one they could also win.

In the spotlight

At his best, Khushdil Shah is perhaps Pakistan’s most powerful hitter of the ball, but in Pakistan’s colours in T20I cricket, he has never come close to hitting those heights. In the game against India, which saw a limp performance from almost every Pakistan batter, Khushdil’s innings – a timid 2 off 7 balls – still stood out for its total lack of intent. Perhaps a game against Hong Kong, whose bowlers don’t quite offer the same threat as India’s is just what he needs to produce a statement innings.

 

 

 

Stats and trivia

Pakistan are yet to win a T20I in 2022. The two games they played in the format – against India and Australia – have ended in defeat

Haris Rauf is five wickets shy of matching Shaheen Afridi’s T20I tally of 47. Should he get there against Hong Kong, it will have taken him five fewer innings than Shaheen to get there.

 

Hong Kong has won the toss and will field first. Hong Kong & Pakistan are unchanged. Babar Azam said that he is happy to bat first as he would have done the same if he had won the toss.

Hong Kong won the toss and elected to field first against Pakistan.

Pakistan team remains unchanged.

Let the game begin 🏏🇵🇰 #PAKvHK pic.twitter.com/PvB9OGE7Fy

— Wajahat Kazmi (@KazmiWajahat) September 2, 2022