Pakistan’s 16-year-old pacer Naseem Shah who was named the test squad against Australia has decided not to return home after the demise of his Mother. The pacer will stay with the national team in Australia but has pulled out of the ongoing three-day practice match against Australia A. On the second day of the tour match, players from both the teams wore black armbands in the respect of his mother who passed away. The decision to not return home, after the passing away of his mother, was taken by the youngster after conversations with family members. Babar Azam Scores Century During Australia A vs Pakistan 3-Day Practice Match.

Naseem shah was named in the squad after just making six first-class appearances in which he took 26 wickets and averaged less than 17. All eyes were on the youngster as he was set to make his debut on the international stage however, the youngster lost his mother on Monday, casting doubts over his availability for the series. But later it was confirmed that he will not be returning home. 'Nasim was to miss his mother’s funeral even if he left for Pakistan at the earliest. Therefore, after consultation with his family, he has decided to stay back,' Dawn.com quoted a PCB spokesperson. The pacer consulted his family before conveying the message to the board

Shah was the part of the Pakistan team playing a three-day practice match in Perth, which turned out to be a disastrous game for the host. Pakistan set a total of 428 after electing to bat first, and in reply, Australia A were all out at just 122, with Bancroft managing 49 runs off 155 deliveries. After Naseem pulled out of the match Pakistan decided not to replace him, thus leaving them one bowler short. Players from Pakistan and Australia donned black armband in the game as a mark of respect to shah’s mother. The game also saw Nic Maddinson pulling out of the match on mental health grounds.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 13, 2019 03:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).