Naseem Shah is a cricketer from Pakistan who represents the country at the international level as a fiery right-hand fast bowler. Naseem Shah's bowling action, characterized by smooth and slick action, becomes a captivating spectacle when he is in full flow on the pitch. Naseem comes from Mayar Jandool, a town located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.
Having played tape ball cricket for several years in Lower Dir, Naseem embarked on his professional journey at the age of 13. His uncle facilitated his entry into the Abdul Qadir Cricket Academy in Lahore, under the coaching of Sulaiman Qadir. Subsequently, Naseem earned selection for the Lahore Under-16 team at 13 and later, at the age of 14, for the Pakistan Under-16 team.
Naseem Shah marked his first-class debut for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited during the 2018–19 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Additionally, he made his List A debut for the same team in the 2018–19 Quaid-e-Azam One Day Cup the same year.
After a year of dominating domestic batters, Shah earned a spot in Pakistan's Test squad for their series against Australia. He made his Test debut for Pakistan against Australia in November 2019. The subsequent month, he was selected in the Test squad for the series against Sri Lanka, where in the final match, he achieved a notable milestone by becoming the second-youngest bowler of all time to claim a five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Also, Naseem Shah made history by becoming the youngest bowler to secure a hat-trick in Test cricket at the remarkable age of just 16 years and 359 days old.
Naseem Shah breached the mark of 50 Test wickets in just a span of 17 matches and has done quite decently in the limited overs format as well. In 2022, Naseem Shah received a significant opportunity when he was chosen for Pakistan's ODI squad. He made his debut in this format against the Netherlands. Adding to his list of achievements, he also earned the chance to play his first T20I match, a highly anticipated encounter against India in the Asia Cup 2022.
2023 proved to be a transitional year for the pacer as he cnountered quite a few injuries and was eventually sidelined from the biggest ICC event, i.e., the ODI World Cup in October and November of 2023. He worked on his fitness and did make the cut for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup but neither he nor the Pakistan team had much of an impact. With the Champions Trophy on the horizon, Naseem will be hoping to play a big role as Pakistan look to make a statement playing at home.
His formidable bowling skills have garnered significant attention from various cricket franchises worldwide. In the Pakistan Super League (PSL), he initially represented the Quetta Gladiators before being traded to Islamabad United. In addition, he has showcased his talent in the Men’s Hundred Competition, where he had the opportunity to play for the Welsh Fire and Birmingham Phoenix. Naseem Shah possesses all the essential attributes to become a formidable pace bowler across different formats of cricket.
