- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,546
In an interview with Saj for inews, Pakistan fast-bowler Naseem Shah speaks about the tragic loss of his mother at time of his debut against Australia, why he is looking forward to bowling to Joe Root and Ben Stokes, what he hopes to learn from the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad and his ambitions to play County Cricket in England.
Pakistan’s uncanny ability to produce young fast-bowling talent has been evident since the country’s induction as a cricket nation in 1952.
Fazal Mahmood, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar are just some of the names who have enthralled the world of cricket with their blistering pace and ability to swing the ball.
But since Shoaib’s international career ended in 2011, there has been a degree of pessimism among cricket enthusiasts about the lack of fresh talent coming through the corridors of Pakistan’s pace-bowling factory.
However, it appears that any such fears can now be laid to rest with the arrival of Pakistan’s latest fast-bowling find: Naseem Shah.
Part of Pakistan’s latest generation of Under-19 pacers, 17-year old Naseem has quickly gained a reputation for his pace and aggression. He made his international debut last year in Australia and while his performances did not yield the results he had hoped for, he did show glimpses of the potential that he possesses.
During the tour of Australia, Naseem was also confronted with a personal tragedy, when his mother passed away back home.
He was unable to return to Pakistan for her funeral and was distraught that his mother never got to fulfil her wish of seeing him in national colours.
“It was a difficult time for me in Australia,” he says. “I was struggling to sleep and had to take sleeping tablets after the loss of my mother.
“She always prayed for my success and dreamt of seeing me play for Pakistan, but she never saw that happen which was tragic and heart-breaking. I think of her every time I take a wicket and thank her for her prayers and blessings.”
At the end of last year he took seven wickets in two home Test matches against Sri Lanka which followed the tour of Australia. However, Naseem’s talents really came to the fore during a Test match in Rawalpindi against Bangladesh in February. It was in that game he became the youngest man to take a Test match hat-trick, a moment that he particularly savoured.
“It was an incredible moment. The best thing about it was that it was in front of my countrymen at Rawalpindi.
“Pakistan has been starved of international cricket for many years and I hope it was a special moment for fans who were at the ground.
“I hope it’s the first of many records I can break, but above all, it meant that I had helped my country towards victory.”
Bowling fast requires a special mindset given the immense physical and mental hurdles that need to be overcome. For Naseem, these challenges are exactly what attracts him to the art of fast bowling as he explained, “Only a fast-bowler can understand the mindset of another fast-bowler and appreciate the highs and lows.
“On those days when your rhythm is right, your body feels good, your run-up is smooth and the ball is just coming out nicely, you are on top of the world and there is no better feeling.
“I always wanted to be a fast bowler and even in my school days, I loved to scare batsmen by bowling fast.
“I feel good when I see fear in the batsman’s eyes, it motivates me to bowl even faster.”
For a youngster like Naseem, he appreciates that understanding the manner in which bowlers like James Anderson utilise the conditions could well provide knowledge that will be crucial for his success later this summer and in the future.
“Learning from your own coaches and team-mates is vital, but I feel that watching the opposition bowlers and learning from them is almost equally as important,” he says.
“I’ll be observing the English bowlers very closely, to see how they bowl in home conditions.
“I’m a big admirer of James Anderson who’s been such a brilliant bowler for so long. You don’t take hundreds of Test wickets without knowing what you are doing and to be around Anderson and have the opportunity to learn from him is something that I am not going to miss out on.”
He may be raw, but Naseem has the confidence and self-belief of a cricketer destined for greatness.
He believes in respecting the opposition but not fearing their abilities and is keen to leave England as someone both English fans and players will remember.
Wasim Akram on Pakistan’s coaching arsenal, Babar Azam vs Broad and Anderson and a team full of young talent
“Joe Root and Ben Stokes are two cricketers I rate highly, and it will be great to test myself against them, he says. “I respect good players, but I do not fear them.
“I will show them respect, but I will not let them dominate and I will not think that these guys are really good, world-class cricketers and that I should be concerned or worried about bowling to them.
“I want to leave England this summer having created an impression on the opposition batsmen and with the fans.At the moment, they won’t know who I am, but hopefully by the end of the tour they will know all about me.”
The experience of playing county cricket is one that many greats of Pakistan cricket have attributed to their development in the past.
It therefore stands to reason that Naseem is looking at the upcoming tour as a way of impressing observers in England with a view to playing county cricket in the future.
“Looking back over the years many of the Pakistani fast-bowling greats have played county cricket and really benefited from it,” he says. “Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis are just some of the bowlers who have said that county cricket really helped them mature and improve and I would definitely like that opportunity at some point.
“I just need to manage my workload and not overdo it, but if the opportunity arose I would jump at it as I know it will definitely help in my development as a bowler.”
https://inews.co.uk/sport/cricket/n...eam-test-series-england-bowling-attack-570740
Pakistan’s uncanny ability to produce young fast-bowling talent has been evident since the country’s induction as a cricket nation in 1952.
Fazal Mahmood, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar are just some of the names who have enthralled the world of cricket with their blistering pace and ability to swing the ball.
But since Shoaib’s international career ended in 2011, there has been a degree of pessimism among cricket enthusiasts about the lack of fresh talent coming through the corridors of Pakistan’s pace-bowling factory.
However, it appears that any such fears can now be laid to rest with the arrival of Pakistan’s latest fast-bowling find: Naseem Shah.
Part of Pakistan’s latest generation of Under-19 pacers, 17-year old Naseem has quickly gained a reputation for his pace and aggression. He made his international debut last year in Australia and while his performances did not yield the results he had hoped for, he did show glimpses of the potential that he possesses.
During the tour of Australia, Naseem was also confronted with a personal tragedy, when his mother passed away back home.
He was unable to return to Pakistan for her funeral and was distraught that his mother never got to fulfil her wish of seeing him in national colours.
“It was a difficult time for me in Australia,” he says. “I was struggling to sleep and had to take sleeping tablets after the loss of my mother.
“She always prayed for my success and dreamt of seeing me play for Pakistan, but she never saw that happen which was tragic and heart-breaking. I think of her every time I take a wicket and thank her for her prayers and blessings.”
At the end of last year he took seven wickets in two home Test matches against Sri Lanka which followed the tour of Australia. However, Naseem’s talents really came to the fore during a Test match in Rawalpindi against Bangladesh in February. It was in that game he became the youngest man to take a Test match hat-trick, a moment that he particularly savoured.
“It was an incredible moment. The best thing about it was that it was in front of my countrymen at Rawalpindi.
“Pakistan has been starved of international cricket for many years and I hope it was a special moment for fans who were at the ground.
“I hope it’s the first of many records I can break, but above all, it meant that I had helped my country towards victory.”
Bowling fast requires a special mindset given the immense physical and mental hurdles that need to be overcome. For Naseem, these challenges are exactly what attracts him to the art of fast bowling as he explained, “Only a fast-bowler can understand the mindset of another fast-bowler and appreciate the highs and lows.
“On those days when your rhythm is right, your body feels good, your run-up is smooth and the ball is just coming out nicely, you are on top of the world and there is no better feeling.
“I always wanted to be a fast bowler and even in my school days, I loved to scare batsmen by bowling fast.
“I feel good when I see fear in the batsman’s eyes, it motivates me to bowl even faster.”
For a youngster like Naseem, he appreciates that understanding the manner in which bowlers like James Anderson utilise the conditions could well provide knowledge that will be crucial for his success later this summer and in the future.
“Learning from your own coaches and team-mates is vital, but I feel that watching the opposition bowlers and learning from them is almost equally as important,” he says.
“I’ll be observing the English bowlers very closely, to see how they bowl in home conditions.
“I’m a big admirer of James Anderson who’s been such a brilliant bowler for so long. You don’t take hundreds of Test wickets without knowing what you are doing and to be around Anderson and have the opportunity to learn from him is something that I am not going to miss out on.”
He may be raw, but Naseem has the confidence and self-belief of a cricketer destined for greatness.
He believes in respecting the opposition but not fearing their abilities and is keen to leave England as someone both English fans and players will remember.
Wasim Akram on Pakistan’s coaching arsenal, Babar Azam vs Broad and Anderson and a team full of young talent
“Joe Root and Ben Stokes are two cricketers I rate highly, and it will be great to test myself against them, he says. “I respect good players, but I do not fear them.
“I will show them respect, but I will not let them dominate and I will not think that these guys are really good, world-class cricketers and that I should be concerned or worried about bowling to them.
“I want to leave England this summer having created an impression on the opposition batsmen and with the fans.At the moment, they won’t know who I am, but hopefully by the end of the tour they will know all about me.”
The experience of playing county cricket is one that many greats of Pakistan cricket have attributed to their development in the past.
It therefore stands to reason that Naseem is looking at the upcoming tour as a way of impressing observers in England with a view to playing county cricket in the future.
“Looking back over the years many of the Pakistani fast-bowling greats have played county cricket and really benefited from it,” he says. “Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis are just some of the bowlers who have said that county cricket really helped them mature and improve and I would definitely like that opportunity at some point.
“I just need to manage my workload and not overdo it, but if the opportunity arose I would jump at it as I know it will definitely help in my development as a bowler.”
https://inews.co.uk/sport/cricket/n...eam-test-series-england-bowling-attack-570740
