Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah to auction his Asia Cup six-hitting bat to help flood victims
India Today
Pakistan's teenage pacer Naseem Shah donated the bat which he used to hit those 2 memorable sixes against Afghanistan in Asia Cup 2022 to the Shahid Afridi Foundation to help flood-affected people in Pakistan.
19-year-old Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah on Thursday, September 15 said he has donated his bat from the Asia Cup 2022 campaign to the Shahid Afridi Foundation, run by former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, to help the flood victims in the country.
Naseem Shah said the bat was memorable to him as he had used it when hitting 2 sixes off the last 2 balls in a pulsating must-win match against Afghanistan in the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup. Naseem, batting at No. 11, stunned the Afghanistan side by hitting 2 sixes against left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi as Pakistan got past the finish line in a low-scoring thriller and booked their place in the final.
Notably, the bat that Naseem Shah used for the Super 4 match against Afghanistan was given to him by fellow pacer Mohammad Hasnain. In a video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board earlier in September, Hasnain had given the nod to Naseem to put the bat up for auction.
Naseem took to social media on Friday to confirm he would be auctioning the bat through the welfare foundation run by Shahid Afridi which is running a nationwide flood relief campaign in Pakistan.
"This bat is very precious for me but [keeping in view] the situation in the wake of floods in Pakistan, I am giving it to Shahid Afridi Foundation because Lala always helps the destitute and deserving people whenever there is a hard time," Naseem Shah said in his video.
Humbled to auction off my sixer bat from the Pak Vs. Afghan Asia Cup match for @SAFoundationN Flood Relief Campaign across Pakistan. Grateful to @SAfridiOfficial for taking such a noble initiative! Support them in ensuring #HopeNotOut.https://t.co/zsMHUIrkof pic.twitter.com/VLoBC5nl8k
Naseem also urged Afridi to help those affected in his hometown as well. The young pacer will next be in action when Pakistan square off against England, who have arrived in the Asian for the first time in 17 years, for a 7-match T20I series, starting September 20.