Naseem Shah in 'good spirits' after shoulder surgery

Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah has undergone successful surgery for his shoulder injury, which had sidelined him for the ICC World Cup 2023 starting tomorrow in India.

The update on the young pacer's surgery was shared by his manager, Moghees Sheikh, on X, formerly Twitter.

"Naseem Shah is in good spirits after minor procedure on his shoulder. Please remember him in your prayers," he wrote, informing that the pacer will soon be seen in action.

After the procedure, the pacer received rest and rehabilitation advice for four to six weeks before resuming bowling.

Due to the injury, Shah is, unfortunately, expected to remain out of action for at least three to four months.

In the 46th over during Pakistan's second game against India at the Asia Cup 2023 last month, the pacer walked off the field on the reserve day organised for that game. Soon after, the PCB issued a press release stating that the right-armer has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament.

Shah suffered an injury to a muscle just below his bowling shoulder and is not a recurrence of any previous shoulder injuries.

Pacer Hasan Ali, last played an ODI match for Pakistan in 2022 against West Indies in Multan, replaced Shah is Pakistan’s World Cup squad.

Pakistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.

Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

The ICC World Cup 2023 will take place in India with 10 teams fighting for the elusive title across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting the tournament opener and the final.

The Cricket World Cup will be played in the round-robin format with all teams playing against each other for a total of 45 league matches.

The top four teams will qualify for the semifinals, which will be held in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16. The semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.