Naseem Shah reveals why Pakistan pacers avoid taking rest

Naseem Shah highlighted a unique challenge faced by Pakistani cricketers, explaining that the fear of losing their spots in the playing XI prevents main players from taking necessary breaks.

According to Naseem, the intense competition within the team creates an environment where newcomers performing well in just one or two games can potentially replace established players. This fear, he believes, hinders players from giving their bodies the rest they need.

"I think, unfortunately, in Pakistan, the case is different. Here, the situation is such that if a newcomer performs in one game, the main bowlers are afraid of their place in the XI and wonder if they will be retained for the next game. That fear does not allow players to rest because sometimes when you rest, your career can end up resting in peace,” Naseem Shah told CricWick.

“There’s also a fear among players and our culture is such that if we say our bodies aren’t 100 percent or we are tired, there will be a lot of chatter about our commitment towards playing. Even the players start talking about you so you don’t take rest voluntarily," he added.

To address this issue, Naseem proposed a proactive approach to workload management. He suggested that decisions about the number of games a player will participate in during a series should be made in advance by the physio or bowling coach.

“The way to avoid that could be if the physio or bowling coach pre-decides the number of games you will play in a series. It will always be better. It [workload management] should happen but it is not in our culture," he concluded.