"Maybe those difficult moments, will make me stronger in future" : Naseem Shah

[MenInG]

Raw pace and an aggressive attitude have always been the hallmarks of Pakistan’s proud legacy of fast-bowlers. This is exactly what the millions who will eagerly watch the upcoming seventh edition of Pakistan’s premier T20 tournament will be hoping to see when the current crop of local as well as international pace merchants ply their trade during the 34 games, which will be played in Karachi and Lahore between 27th January and 27th February.





One bowler who will be keen to impress will be Quetta Gladiators Naseem Shah who, in exclusive remarks to PakPassion.net, explained the important role that he is hoping the Pakistan Super League (PSL) could play in his future progress.

“The Pakistan Super League is a huge tournament for all of the players taking part and it’s a massive opportunity for the players to impress everyone. There’s no denying the fact that performances at the PSL do count a lot and every player taking part wants to give their all and catch the eye of those watching the tournament.”

The Quetta Gladiators, have had their ups and downs and fulfilled their promise when their captain Sarfaraz Ahmed lifted the trophy in 2019. However, a combination of reasons including the unavailability of their top players in crucial games have steadily dented their ability to win the title the second time, a trend that Naseem hopes they will reverse in 2022.

“There’s no doubt Quetta Gladiators haven’t done very well recently at the Pakistan Super League, but this time we’ve recruited a lot of experienced players such as Sohail Tanvir, James Faulkner, Shahid Afridi and Iftikhar Ahmed. Add to that the likes of James Vince and Jason Roy, together with Shimron Hetmyer, Ben Duckett and Mohammad Hasnain, Khurram Shehzad and I with the ball and you can see why we go into the tournament with a lot of hope and confidence. The combination looks good and a lot stronger so let’s see how things go.”

The evergreen Shahid Afridi has been a constant presence in PSL’s 7-year history and his final season, will be adorning the colours of Quetta as they begin their quest for another trophy. For youngsters like Naseem, the mere presence of a childhood hero, role model and the legendary figure of Afridi in their dressing room will be inspiration enough and the possibility of gaining knowledge from the former Pakistan captain’s vast experience is something he is clearly looking forward to.

“Shahid Afridi’s arrival at Quetta Gladiators makes a huge difference. His vast experience is going to be vital for the squad and will provide everyone with a huge lift. I grew up watching Shahid Afridi on the television and to be able to share a dressing-room with him is a dream come true. I remember as a child all my family and I being huge fans of Afridi and when he was batting my whole family would crowd around the television and when he was out, they would turn the television off. I can’t wait to get the chance to sit down with him and discuss cricket with him, chat about his career and get some advice from him.”

Given Naseem Shah’s talent and pace it was no surprise to many when he was selected for the very demanding tour of Australia, where despite under terrible personal circumstance caused by the death of his mother, he became the youngest Test cricketer to debut in Australia in November 2019. Whilst the young tearaway only took a single wicket on international debut, he did impress with his considerable talent and later on in 2020 became the youngest bowler to take a Test Hat-trick. However, a combination of poor form and injuries then seriously hampered Naseem’s international and domestic career but all that is history and as he explains, he has learnt some important life-changing lessons from those setbacks.

“Injuries have really hampered my progress during my career so far. It takes a bit of time to understand your body as a sportsman and you realise what is causing the injuries and what you need to change about yourself. When I started playing professional cricket, I was literally clueless in terms of understanding my body and the strain I was putting it under. When you suffer injuries it’s a long road back and you learn the hard way. I had 3 fractures in my back, I had a recurring groin injury and even the medics were puzzled as to why those injuries were so frequent. It took many months to resolve the issues and they were tough and confusing times for me. When you are going through those issues and problems then only you know how tough it is, but for many people it’s difficult to understand why a player is sometimes struggling as they don’t know what is going on in that player’s personal life or the injury problems they are going through. I’ve had a lot of trauma in my life already, on and off the field, and it affected me a lot mentally and it affected my cricket. But, who knows, maybe those difficult moments, will make me stronger in future.”

Quetta Gladiators continued faith in Naseem Shah’s abilities is a testament to the importance they place in his skills, and his recovery from what could well have been career-ending injuries would have been greeted with a sigh of relief. Naseem for his part appears ready and is full of enthusiasm as he looks forward to playing more competitive cricket on a regular basis.

“Thankfully I’ve been injury-free for a while now. I’ve played domestic cricket and also at the Caribbean Premier League and when you are playing regularly and are injury-free that really boosts your confidence and gives you a lot of belief. It’s no coincidence that my performances have improved since my fitness levels have been much better. My bowling rhythm has improved and that is definitely down to feeling stronger and fitter than I was. My self-belief has definitely grown too since my injury problems have been eradicated.”

With 20 wickets in 9 Test appearances for Pakistan and an encouraging recovery from injuries, Naseem Shah is undoubtedly looking ahead to resuming his international journey in the future but for now, his eyes are firmly set upon helping his side Quetta rise to glory, once again.

“Look, at the moment I’m not even thinking about international cricket. All I am thinking about is the Pakistan Super League and performing well and we will take it from there. Everybody wants to work hard; everyone wants to play for their country and improve themselves. I believe that whatever is written in my destiny will happen. If that means I play for Pakistan in future, then I will grab that opportunity with both hands. But I don’t want to put myself under pressure about playing for Pakistan as I know that will affect my performances and confidence. I’m not even thinking as far as the T20 World Cup, I am just focussing on the Pakistan Super League and taking lots of wickets for Quetta Gladiators.”

[Maher96]

It’s so true just having the experience they lacked from last year can improve Quetta.

I feel once Roy and Vince join the squad the team will be a whole.

From top order to middle order they have batting which a lot will depend on as they lack any lower order power.

Naseem and Hasnain will hopefully get the nod ahead of the likes of Tanvir at least.

The Afridi factor will surely come to play, what a experience it will be for the whole team especially Sarfraz who won’t seem so alone.

Shahid Afridi and Sarfraz on a team is anyone supporting other teams at all?

[Junaids]

He is wasting his career playing white ball rubbish in and for Pakistan.

He has a lovely action which needs a little refinement to be added. And he needs to use his Gloucestershire contract to bowl 20 overs per day with a red ball on 30 different days next summer, taking something like 75 First Class wickets at 17.00 in 15 matches.

But he needs to be rationed to 10 white ball internationals and 10 white ball franchise matches per year.

[moghul]

I'm very hopeful Naseem will become a Pakistan regular and one of the top 5 fast bowlers in the world in 3-4 years .

[shaz619]

He is wasting his career playing white ball rubbish in and for Pakistan.

He has a lovely action which needs a little refinement to be added. And he needs to use his Gloucestershire contract to bowl 20 overs per day with a red ball on 30 different days next summer, taking something like 75 First Class wickets at 17.00 in 15 matches.

But he needs to be rationed to 10 white ball internationals and 10 white ball franchise matches per year.

If he don’t play white ball cricket he wont be able to maximise his earnings, he is often compared to Jofra (despite his superior results on the cricket pitch) and even he hasn’t turned away from white ball stuff. I think it’s fine to play it so long the player understands their limits and also that FC cricket is the be and end all as far as bowling development is concerned, he needs education and support, seems a bit more mature now so lets see where he goes and that opportunity at Gloucestershire should be a massive eye opener and cricketing culture shock for him

[MenInG]

New Delhi: Naseem Shah has been the find of Pakistan cricket and the 18-year old right-arm fast bowler keeps getting better and better with every passing game. He grabbed headlines when he became the ninth-youngest player to debut in Test cricket. In his second Test against Sri Lanka, he became the second-youngest bowler to take a five-wicket haul in a Test match and also the youngest pacer to do so. He also has the record of the youngest fast bowler to scalp a hattrick in Test cricket which he did against Bangladesh. With the PSL 7 kicking off from Thursday, Shah sets his sight on performing well for Quetta Gladiators in the upcoming season and not thinking about representing Pakistan anytime soon.

“Injuries have really hampered my progress during my career so far. It takes a bit of time to understand your body as a sportsman and you realise what is causing the injuries and what you need to change about yourself. When I started playing professional cricket, I was literally clueless in terms of understanding my body and the strain I was putting it under. When you suffer injuries it’s a long road back and you learn the hard way. I had 3 fractures in my back, I had a recurring groin injury and even the medics were puzzled as to why those injuries were so frequent. It took many months to resolve the issues and they were tough and confusing times for me”, Shah told to PakPassion.net in an exclusive chat.

”I’ve had a lot of trauma in my life already, on and off the field, and it affected me a lot mentally and it affected my cricket. But, who knows, maybe those difficult moments, will make me stronger in future”, he told.

Shah is excited at the prospect of teaming up with Pakistan legend Shahid Afridi, someone he has grown up watching and he can’t wait to get some valuable advice from the veteran all-rounder.

“Shahid Afridi’s arrival at Quetta Gladiators makes a huge difference. His vast experience is going to be vital for the squad and will provide everyone with a huge lift. I grew up watching Shahid Afridi on the television and to be able to share a dressing-room with him is a dream come true. I can’t wait to get the chance to sit down with him and discuss cricket with him, chat about his career and get some advice from him.”

Naseem is not thinking about international cricket now as the only thing in mind for him is the PSL. He feels that whatever is written in his destiny will happen.

https://www.india.com/sports/pakista...ators-5207463/

[Saj]

Hopefully the injury problems are a thing of the past.

He's a bowler that I have very high hopes for and I'm sure he will come good.

Looks a lot better of late.

[MenInG]

In his first game of PSL 7



Last 2 balls were 141.5 and 144 kph

[Saj]

Bowled really well today against PZ.

Looked in good shape.

Absolutely criminal that he didn't bowl 4 overs and wasn't brought on to test Shoaib Malik and Hussain Talat.

[Omer2002]

Absolutely mindless from sarfraz

[KhanNn]

Bowled really well today against PZ.

Looked in good shape.

Absolutely criminal that he didn't bowl 4 overs and wasn't brought on to test Shoaib Malik and Hussain Talat.

Looked in good shape and I also noticed he changed his action slightly to be less strenuous on the back which is good to see.

Definitely should have bowled all 4 overs. I have a suspicion it was due to the Sarfaraz didn't like the fact Naseem was looking to set his own field positions which Sarfaraz was having none of and reminded him who is captain. Absolutely disgraceful and arrogant. Bowlers should be allowed to set their own field.

Anyways next ball the ball went for a boundary through the gap where Naseem wanted a fielder.....

[Last Monetarist]

Three wickets today.

[DeadlyVenom]

Beautiful bowler to watch when in full flow. He's still officially very young and can develop into a world-class bowler.

[MenInG]

"Naseem Shah wants to do something special for the team and also so that he can make a comeback for Pakistan, so I think its a good opportunity for him to prove his skills here" : Umar Gul

[Savak]

He is sacrificing pace for control

[Last Monetarist]

[MenInG]

5-20 are Naseem Shah's best figures in T20s. He's a young man who has faced a lot of difficulties in his career with injuries & the sad loss of his mother. Great to see him fit and bowling well once again #PSL2022 #KKvQG pic.twitter.com/dRdqRyJFZm

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) January 29, 2022

[MenInG]

Naseem Shah "I am pleased that I am meeting this camera after a long time. This camera only pays attention to you when you perform well, so I am really happy to be in front of it again" #PSL2022 #KKvQG pic.twitter.com/fwP3MatykQ

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) January 29, 2022

[Saj]

Some loose shots for his wickets, but he deserved a bit of luck.

Fantastic to see the young man taking wickets and playing cricket with a smile on his face again.

[MenInG]

Some loose shots for his wickets, but he deserved a bit of luck.

Fantastic to see the young man taking wickets and playing cricket with a smile on his face again.

Can be attributed to desperation against him but as you said, luck is what he needs after all he has been through.

[MenInG]

Naseem Shah 5/20 - his best T20 figures:

[Saj]

James Faulkner after today's match:

"we had 2 net sessions & when Naseem Shah was bowling, there weren't too many blokes out there in the middle when he was bowling"

"there are so many young and exciting Pakistani fast bowlers and that's the beauty of this competition, there is always someone popping up. Today was Naseem's day & I'm sure he's going to have plenty of other good days throughout the tournament"

[Junaids]

He is at the same crossroads now which destroyed Mitchell Starc’s chances of ever being the red ball bowler that Shaheen Shah Afridi already is.

There is a choice.

You can become a bowler who bowls lots of Yorkers and takes lots of white ball wickets when the batsmen are slogging.

Or you can learn to bowl a full length - but 3 feet less full than a Yorker - and learn to angle (Starc) or swing it (Shah) towards the slips to get quality batsmen caught in the slips even when they are defending.

If Naseem Shah uses his summer at Gloucestershire well he will learn that art, and have a fruitful 12 year Test career.

[transparent opacity]

Using more slower balls

[MenInG]

Not the best day for him but didnt get thrashed as well

[Savak]

Using more slower balls

Bravo's influence. He has two different types of slower deliveries i.e Finger Spin and Back of the hand. He has been bowling slower ball bouncers as well.

[shaz619]

Bravo's influence. He has two different types of slower deliveries i.e Finger Spin and Back of the hand. He has been bowling slower ball bouncers as well.

That’s a good observation, also shows he responds to good coaching. Hopefully the stint here in the UK will help him develop further

[Wahid1234]

Naseem shah surprised me today with his bowling at the death today bowled with some real fire 🔥 and pace. This guy has the talent just needs to pitch it fuller and not be scared to go for runs a little bit like waqar in his hay days did..

[shamaan]

Naseem was bowling at high pace and was bowling different kind of deliveries.

[Hassaan HS]

[Saj]

A nice touch from Player of the Match Jason Roy - he went up to youngster Naseem Shah after the game and said his bowling was the difference between Quetta Gladiators chasing 204 instead of 215

[MenInG]

147.3 Kph ball to remove Gurbaz....

[Maher96]

Good wicket but was expensive today.

[Savak]

He has developed variations ie finger spin slower ball, back of the hand slower ball, finger spin slower ball bouncer, back of the hand slower ball bouncer but Waqar Younis was getting frustrated with the fact that he is using these variations at the wrong time ie with the new ball when the ball is hard, new in the first two overs due to which he gets tonked and then he doesn't use these variations at the death and bowls full pace full tosses when the batsmen are looking to hit big. Something he needs to be smarter about

[Saj]

He has developed variations ie finger spin slower ball, back of the hand slower ball, finger spin slower ball bouncer, back of the hand slower ball bouncer but Waqar Younis was getting frustrated with the fact that he is using these variations at the wrong time ie with the new ball when the ball is hard, new in the first two overs due to which he gets tonked and then he doesn't use these variations at the death and bowls full pace full tosses when the batsmen are looking to hit big. Something he needs to be smarter about

Yes, he tries to overdo it at times when it's not needed. I guess it's down to inexperience and a lack of confidence at times.

But overall, I think he definitely looks better in terms of his bowling.

[MenInG]

On fire...

[Guardian]

Naseem shah pulling off a Shaheen Afridi with those early wickets of Zazai and Livingstone

[shamaan]

Naseem is starting to actually use his variety and is leading the attack.

[Last Monetarist]

Bowling really well in the PSL:

[Hassaan HS]

Naseem Shah Share's Current Situation Thoughts About QG and His Performance

[gazza619]

My days!!!!

Get him !!!!

[Villager6964]

He has been bowling wonderfully and definitely with a plan now.
He has always got the most important thing in fast bowling that's pace.
Pace can't be taught.He has started learning other skills.
If he remains injury free he can serve Pakistan for long time.

[Muhammad Saad]

Him , Shaheen and Rauf , mouth watering trio in Australia , who will be the 4th supporting bowler/allrounder?

[MenInG]

[shamaan]

Him , Shaheen and Rauf , mouth watering trio in Australia , who will be the 4th supporting bowler/allrounder?

Wssim jnr.

[Last Monetarist]

Wicket of Qasim Akram today:

[Last Monetarist]

Finishes 2/14 from 4 overs today after adding the wicket of Rohail Nazir:

Overall stats in PSL 7:

14 wickets from 10 matches at an average of 21.85, strike-rate of 16.3, and economy rate of 8.01.

[MenInG]

Brilliant numbers for Naseem Shah at PSL7. He's bowled at a very good pace, bowled with aggression and with accuracy:

Overs 38.1
Runs conceded 306
Wickets 14
Economy-rate 8.01#PSL7 #Cricket pic.twitter.com/ks1vJ3wIwI

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) February 20, 2022

[Daoud]

Brilliant numbers for Naseem Shah at PSL7. He's bowled at a very good pace, bowled with aggression and with accuracy:

Overs 38.1
Runs conceded 306
Wickets 14
Economy-rate 8.01#PSL7 #Cricket pic.twitter.com/ks1vJ3wIwI

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) February 20, 2022

Excellent numbers given he was written off by many AND he was handicapped by Sarfraz as captain

[Saj]

It's not just the wickets he took, it is the way he has bowled for most of the PSL7. With a bit more luck he could have had 4 or 5 more wickets.

Good on you young man, well done.

[shamaan]

Player of the tournament for QG

[MenInG]

Another chance for Naseem

==

Naseem Shah, who was originally a travelling reserve, has been included in the Pakistan squad for the first Test against Australia after Haris Rauf was ruled out after testing positive for Covid-19.

[Shafi]

So far I cannot see any improvement. He should work hard to improve his bowling rather than boasting.

[MenInG]

Naseem Shah has been signed by Welsh Fire for this season's Hundred tournament #Cricket

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) April 5, 2022

[MenInG]

Naseem Shah working hard to regain fitness during his stint with Gloucestershire

[Xoib]

Among all our county Imports this year this was the guy that needed the most amount of red ball cricket alas a wasted opportunity