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The Shan Masood-led Pakistan cricket team is all set to take Bangladesh in a two-match Test series, starting August 21 in Rawalpindi. While the first Test will be played in Rawalpindi from August 21 to August 25, the action will then move to Karachi for the second and final Test, which will be played between August 30 and September 3. Ahead of the series, Pakistan Head Coach, Jason Gillespie extended an open invitation to 2024 Paris Olympics gold medallist Arshad Nadeem.
The Pakistan javelin thrower, who set an Olympic record with his monstrous 92.97m throw in men’s javelin throw event, rouse to fame after his gold medal win. In Pakistan he has become the latest sensation as he became the first-ever individual Olympic gold medallist in the country. Seeing his achievement on the world stage, Gillespie has extended an invitation to him.
Moreover, the coach of the Pakistan Test setup added that this move follows the excitement he saw among the Shaheens during the Summer Olympics in Paris. “We would love to invite Arshad Nadeem to the dressing room as well. I saw all the Shaheens cheering him on during the Olympics. Having him visit and share his gold medal with the team would be fantastic boost, especially with the Olympic spirit still in the air. It was a wonderful moment, and we extend an open invitation for him to visit the dressing room,” Gillespie said as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Why Arshad Nadeem left cricket and moved to javelin throw? Brother Shahid reveals story
Earlier after Arshad Nadeem rose to fame with his monstrous throw winning him gold medal, he revealed that he initially wanted to become a cricketer but the atrocities made him turn to athletics. “We are a family of nine – five brothers, two sisters and our parents. Our father is a construction worker and he was the sole breadwinner of the family. Cricket is an expensive sport and we couldn't afford it,” Shahid, Nadeem’s brother explained in an interaction with Revsportz.
“I used to do it in school and that attracted him to the sport. Initially, he used to participate in everything – 200m, 400m, long jump, javelin… Then, a teacher in our school told Nadeem to concentrate on one particular discipline. He chose javelin,” he added.
The Pakistan athlete is all set to receive the second highest award of the country, ‘Hilal-e-Imtiaz’ after his prolific display at the recently concluded Paris Olympics 2024.
