Why Naseem Shah is not playing T20 World Cup 2024 Match 36 between Pakistan vs Ireland?

Pakistan are squaring off against Ireland in an inconsequential encounter in the 2024 T20 World Cup at the CBRP Stadium Turf Ground on Sunday, June 16.

Babar Azam won the toss and had no hesitation in opting to bowl first on a pitch that had been under the covers for quite some time owing to the heavy rainfall in the region over the last few days. At the toss, he announced that Naseem Shah is not playing the encounter and he has been replaced by fellow right-arm pacer Abbas Afridi. It was an interesting choice to leave out Naseem, who bowled with a lot of heart in the last three games. However, it is an exciting opportunity for the 23-year-old Abbas to showcase his talent on the grand stage.

Also Read: 'We were not good enough' - Imad Wasim opens up on Pakistan's dingy T20 World Cup 2024 outing

Meanwhile, Ireland also made a solitary change to their playing XI from the last game. They left out the experienced speedster Craig Young and brought in young leg-spinner Benjamin White.

Babar reckoned that the pitch would have a touch of moisture because it was under the covers for a long time. Pakistan might have been eliminated but the right-handed batter asserted that they have not dropped their intensity while preparing for this inconsequential clash.

 "We'll have a bowl first. Last three days, the pitch has been covered with, a little bit of moisture on it. As a professional, you need to prepare for every match. We'll look to play our best today. We have one change. Naseem isn't playing, Abbas is playing," Babar said.

Meanwhile, Irish skipper Paul Stirling admitted that he would have also opted to bowl first. The opening batter recalled the 1-0 lead his team took in a recent T20I series against Pakistan before losing the remaining games. He expressed his excitement for the challenge ahead.

"That's what we would have done (bowl first). Under the covers for a while, there'll be a little bit up top. Hopefully, we can through that and put a score on the board. We put one on the board, got 1-0 up in the series (against Pakistan) and then didn't manage to go on and win it. The World Cup brings a different scenario, another great game hopefully. Young misses out today, Ben White is in," Stirling stated.