Pacer Naseem keen to excel at highest level

LAHORE: Yong upcoming bowler Naseem Shah is not concerned about the talk of his age and is focused on playing his game.

Talking to media here on Saturday, the 16-year-old Naseem said instead of getting distracted by useless talk, I prefer my performance do the work.

However, this young bowler is excited of his inclusion in the Test squad for the Australia Test series but his selection drew murmurs that to pick him for the tour of Australia was akin to feeding him to the lions. It may be a bother for some but for the boy himself, the kid who’s still a 105 days away from his 17th birthday, it’s nothing. “I do not have any pressure from the fact that my age gets discussed so much. I do not think about my age. I only think of performing at the highest level,” he told an assortment of reports at an open media session in Lahore on Saturday. Instead of letting himself be distracted by outside chatter, Shah says he want to focus harder than ever on his cricket. “I am grateful to God that I am getting the chance to represent Pakistan at this age. This time though, I will work harder than usual so I could avail this chance,” he said. Shah, who took nine wickets for Central Punjab in the drawn Quaid-e-Azam Trophy clash with Sindh earlier this week, will leave for Australia shortly.

There, some of the world’s best batsmen await him. When asked if he has a specific plan to deal with the likes of Steve Smith and David Warner, he said: “It’s not that just the wickets of David Warner and Steve Smith are important. A bowler has to work hard for all the wickets and every wicket is important for him. As a bowler you only focus on bowling well.”