In his first game back since a back injury in the second game of the tournament, Naseem ran to his left and dived to stop a boundary in the 16th over. In doing so, he got his body into an awkward position and lay prone on the ground. Eventually, after the arrival of the medical team – and a stretcher – he was able to get up with support, and limped off.
“Naseem Shah is out of the field because of [a] knee injury he has suffered while fielding,” a Rawalpindiz statement said. “The medical team is assessing his condition.”
Naseem had made an encouraging start to his first game back after the back injury. His two overs saw just nine runs conceded and included the dismissal of Mohammad Faiq, as Rawalpindiz made a fast start in search of a first victory, ultimately restricting Islamabad United to 137.
It is an extension of a difficult tournament for the fast bowler, who has found himself making unwanted headlines all season. He was fined a record PKR 20 million following a social media post that appeared to criticise Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz at the opening ceremony, with Naseem blaming a hacked account and parting ways with his social media manager. A game later, he felt pain in his back and was unable to finish his spell. Rawalpindiz have already been eliminated from the tournament, having lost their first eight matches.