No return to Gloucestershire this season for Naseem Shah

Shah joined Gloucestershire ahead of the 2022 season and was initially expected to be available until the end of the T20 Blast group stage

Naseem Shah won't return to Gloucestershire this season after leaving in early June for personal reasons.

The health of his father, who was taken ill, has since improved, but Shah has been called to attend a Pakistan Cricket Board training camp, ruling him out of a further stint in Bristol.

Shah, who has made 11 Test appearances for Pakistan, joined Gloucestershire ahead of the 2022 season and was expected to be available until the end of the T20 Blast group stage.

However, his spell was disrupted by injury, suffering a shoulder problem on his LV= Insurance County Championship debut against Northamptonshire, which kept him out for a month.

^{Shah took five wickets in three Blast appearances (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)}

"He has shown incredible dedication and work ethic, despite some small issues meaning he couldn't take the field as much as he and we would have liked," said Steve Snell, the county's performance director.

"But nonetheless it has been brilliant to have him with us and hopefully he has enjoyed his time here.

"It has been great to see him develop as a young man – his English has improved immensely, which is something he should be very proud of. He is a very popular member of the squad, and we very much hope to see him back playing in Bristol in the years to come."

Shah's injury was one of several in a troubled season so far for Gloucestershire, who remain winless in red-ball cricket but are fourth in their Blast group.

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