“They’ve never played cricket” - Pakistan pacer’s huge statement during NZ vs PAK 2025 series

Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah called out former cricketers for their 'personal' remarks against the current players amid the side's white-ball tour of New Zealand. The Men in Green have been on an extended poor run, with an early exit in the 2025 Champions Trophy at home being their latest debacle.

Pakistan also suffered first-round eliminations in the 2023 ODI and 2024 T20 World Cups and finished at the bottom of the standings in the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The string of poor results has meant several former Pakistan cricketers have gone after the side and individual players for their disappointing performances with scathing remarks.

In a video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Naseem opened up on the criticisms of the player and said (Via GeoSuper.tv):

"As a fan, if you watch cricket and someone says something that doesn’t make sense to you, you might think, 'Oh, this person has never played cricket.' When we go home, even our own brothers sometimes make comments that make us say, 'Yeah, okay, they’ve never played cricket."

He added:

"But when it comes to players who have actually played cricket for 10-15 years, you can discuss their performance—talk about how someone isn’t bowling well, isn’t batting well, or what mistakes they’re making. That’s fine. You can analyze what can be improved. However, I feel that getting too personal—commenting on how someone styles their hair or how they speak—crosses the line. These things hit personally."

Unfortunately for Pakistan, things continue to go downhill with the side suffering a 1-4 series defeat in the T20Is against New Zealand in the ongoing tour. While Naseem was not part of the T20I series, he is partaking in the ODI series in progress, with Pakistan trailing 0-1 in the best-of-three affair.

"It does hurt" - Naseem Shah

Naseem Shah has endured an on-and-off Pakistan career due to injuries [Credit: Getty]

Naseem Shah admitted that harsh criticisms from former players hurt more than those from fans. The 22-year-old debuted for Pakistan way back in 2019, but regular injuries have robbed him of playing consistently over the years.

Naseem has picked up a combined 133 wickets in 76 matches across formats in his international career.

"Fans make comments, and that’s understandable because they watch cricket passionately. Even when we were kids, we’d criticize the team when they lost. But if you’ve played cricket for 15 years and still make comments that have nothing to do with the game, it does hurt," said Naseem.

Naseem endured a poor outing in the opening ODI against New Zealand with figures of 1 for 60 in 10 overs as Pakistan lost by 73 runs. He will look to bounce back and help his side keep the three-match series alive in the second ODI at Hamilton on April 2.