Naseem Shah reacts to Mohammad Amir’s praise

Naseem Shah responded graciously to Mohammad Amir's recent praise of his bowling skills.

During the post-day press conference on Monday in Colombo, a reporter informed Naseem that Amir had recently called him a better bowler than Shaheen Shah Afridi.

When asked to comment on Amir's statement, Naseem chose to focus on personal improvement rather than engaging in comparisons. "What do I say about who is better and who is not?" he humbly replied, emphasizing that he is not in competition with anyone.

Naseem made it clear that his primary goal is continuous improvement, and he remains dedicated to working hard on his game.

 “My focus is on improving myself day by day and I am not in competition with anyone. Performing and doing hard work is in my control whereas judging me is in the hands of others,” Naseem added.

Earlier this year, Amir had publicly expressed his admiration for Naseem's extraordinary talents among the current crop of pacers in Pakistan.

Amir praised Naseem's cricketing intelligence, noting that he doesn't go for swing deliveries when the conditions are not favorable, which sets him apart from other bowlers.

"Naseem Shah is a different breed altogether. He outswings the ball as well as in-swing in ODIs. He also tries Yorkers and bouncer with the new ball,” Amir had said on his YouTube channel.

“He is certainly a smart bowler. For instance, he won't go for a swing delivery when he knows the ball isn't swinging a lot. This is the difference between Naseem and the rest of the bowlers. Other bowlers try so hard to attain the shape, but Naseem is one of those who read the pitch well. He grasps quickly whether the pitch is demanding swing delivery or a half-length,” he added.

Seven wickets between Abrar Ahmed and Naseem Shah put Pakistan in a commanding position at the close of first day’s play of the second Test match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on Monday.

After opting to bat first, Sri Lanka were dismissed for a paltry 166 in 48.4 overs. Right-arm mystery spinner Abrar bagged four wickets for 69 in 20.4 overs. He was well supported by Naseem Shah, who picked three wickets for 41 in 14 overs.