Naseem Shah of Pakistan’s Cricket Team Addresses Personal Criticism
Team Struggles and Criticism
Pakistan’s cricket team, captained by Mohammad Rizwan, has faced numerous challenges recently. The team failed to progress past the group stage in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, held at home. They also suffered first-round eliminations in both the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup. Additionally, they finished last in the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle. These disappointing results have led to widespread criticism from former players and fans.
Naseem’s View on Personal Criticism
In a video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and reported by GeoSuper.tv, 22-year-old pacer Naseem Shah discussed the type of criticism he and his teammates often face. Naseem distinguished between constructive, performance-related feedback and unwarranted personal attacks. He noted that while it’s fair for former cricketers to critique a player’s on-field performance, personal remarks are unacceptable.
Naseem’s Experience with Personal Criticism
“As a fan, if you watch cricket and someone says something that doesn’t make sense to you, you might think, ‘Oh, this person has never played cricket.’ When we go home, even our own brothers sometimes make comments that make us say, ‘Yeah, okay, they’ve never played cricket,’” Naseem explained.
The Difference Between Constructive and Personal Criticism
Naseem further clarified, “But when it comes to players who have actually played cricket for 10-15 years, you can discuss their performance—talk about how someone isn’t bowling well, isn’t batting well, or what mistakes they’re making. That’s fine. You can analyze what can be improved. However, I feel that getting too personal—commenting on how someone styles their hair or how they speak—crosses the line. These things hit personally.”
Naseem’s Performance as Concussion Substitute and Half-Century
Recently, Naseem Shah, who was not included in the team’s playing XI in the second match of the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand, stepped in as a concussion substitute for fellow pacer Haris Rauf. He made an impressive contribution, scoring 51 runs off 44 balls in a game that New Zealand ultimately won by 84 runs.
Struggles and Determination to Recover
Although excluded from the T20I squad for the New Zealand series, Naseem remains a part of the ODI lineup. Reflecting on the harsh criticism players often face, he acknowledged that fan reactions stem from their deep love for cricket. “Fans make comments, and that’s understandable because they watch cricket passionately. Even when we were kids, we would criticize the team when they lost. But if you’ve played cricket for 15 years and still make comments that have nothing to do with the game, it does hurt,” Naseem said.
