Pakistan’s red-ball team captain Shan Masood has expressed his wish to emulate javelin ace Arshad Nadeem’s Paris Olympics 2024 triumph in the Bangladesh series.
During a press conference in Rawalpindi, the left-handed batter paid tribute to the Olympian gold medalist, saying that the javelin ace was a national hero.
“Arshad Nadeem has always been a national hero, and with his recent achievement, he has taken a significant step forward. We are all extremely happy with his victory,” Shan Masood added.
“Winning and losing are part of the game, but when the team loses, it hurts us the most. As a team, we aim to bring the same joy to our nation that Arshad Nadeem has brought,” the Pakistan skipper stated.
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According to Masood, Pakistan comes first for all of the players whenever they represent the green flag.
“Representing Pakistan on any stage or at any level is a privilege. Whoever plays for Pakistan strives to bring victory to the country,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention that Arshad Nadeem became the first-ever individual gold medalist in the Olympics for Pakistan.
In the first stage of the javelin final at the Paris Olympics 2024, the star athlete failed to make a mark in his first attempt, however, he made a remarkable recovery with 92.97m in his second attempt, a new Olympic record.
He surpassed Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen, who threw farthest at 90.57 during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
With his gold, Arshad also ended Pakistan’s 32-year Olympic medal drought.
Meanwhile, Pakistan is set to take on Bangladesh in the first Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from August 21 to 25 while the second Test will be held from August 30 to September 3 in Karachi.
Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal (subject to Fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
