Will Naseem Shah miss World Cup matches?

After the conclusion of Asia Cup 2023, all eyes will be on the upcoming International Cricket Council's (ICC) Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, which is set to serve some exciting matches to the cricket fans from the next month.

Pakistani fans were a bit disappointed by national side's failure in reaching the Asia Cup final, but the game is not over yet for them as they expect some exhilarating performances by the world's no. 1 ODI team.

However, there are several concerns regarding the injury-hit Pakistan as the two members of the national side's bowling attack — on which the team's performance highly relies — have been affected by injuries.

Naseem Shah is one of the two pacers who were rested after being injured during Asia Cup matches.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has raised the possibility that the young seamer may miss some of the matches during the most anticipated cricket event.

Naseem was ruled out of the Asia Cup 2023 after he injured his right shoulder during the Super 4 match against India.

The pacer has been advised by the medical panel to rest before the World Cup.

The ICC World Cup is scheduled to take place in India, starting October 5.

Meanwhile, fast bowler Haris Rauf was not allowed to bowl against India as a precaution on the reserve day. The right-arm pacer has a side strain and is rapidly improving.

“Haris Rauf is not bad. He's just got a little bit of a side strain, but he's recovering before the World Cup. Naseem Shah also... they have a couple of missed matches, I don't know [how long] the recovery [is], but in my opinion, Naseem Shah also [will be] in the World Cup later on. But let's see," Babar said during a post-match press conference.

The skipper also remained coy about backup plans in case the duo didn’t recover in time for the mega event.

"I'll tell you later," he said. "Not telling you our Plan B now.”

Naseem is currently in Dubai undergoing scans for the muscle injury below his right shoulder.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) called up Zaman Khan and Shahnawaz Dahani as backups for Naseem and Haris.

It must be noted that Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by two wickets in a virtual semi-final of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo last night.

Kusal Mendis' 91 and an unbeaten 49 by Charith Asalanka helped Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by two wickets in a thrilling clash in the Asia Cup.

The result broke the hearts of millions of fans who were eager for an India-Pakistan final in the event, a prelude to next month’s ODI World Cup.

The final of the Asia Cup 2023 will now be played between Sri Lanka and India on Sunday, September 17, in Colombo.