Naseem Shah says his best cricket is still ahead

Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah says he has not yet played his best cricket, even though he is now three months short of his 24th birthday and has 93 international appearances and 155 wickets to his name.

Back in the national side after a seven-month absence with injury, Naseem told PCB Digital that maturity and experience have changed the way he bowls. “You change a lot as a human being and a cricketer as you age, with maturity levels and experience enhancing,” he said. “You also learn a lot through ups and downs in life. You do bowl express pace when you are young and new in the sport, but now I think that you also need to have some sense in terms of what you are trying to do.”

A strong return at Rawalpindi

Naseem made an immediate impact on Friday, October 9, in the opening Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, his first international match in seven months. He took three wickets for 36 runs in four overs, striking with just his fifth legitimate delivery, according to The Express Tribune.

• He first induced an edge from Sri Lanka’s captain Kusal Mendis with a 136.9kph delivery, which was caught at third man.
• As Sri Lanka looked to speed up in the closing overs, he uprooted Dunith Wellalage’s leg stump with a 141.9kph delivery.
• Two balls later, he dismissed Lahiru Udara, caught at long-on while trying to hit a yorker.

He went wicketless in the second T20I but conceded only nine runs in two powerplay overs, helping set the tone for Sri Lanka’s collapse in the chase. Read our reports on Maaz Sadaqat’s 96 in the second T20I and on Sri Lanka’s consolation win in the third T20I.

Rawalpindi and an injury-hit career

Rawalpindi holds a special place for Naseem. In February 2020, in only his fourth match for Pakistan, he became the youngest bowler to take a Test hat-trick, against Bangladesh at the age of 16 years and 359 days.

Injuries have repeatedly interrupted a seven-year international career. One of his biggest disappointments was missing the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. A back injury sustained during the 2026 Pakistan Super League then ruled him out of the tournament.

“You go back to zero whenever you are injured and sometimes it doesn’t even allow you to go for a run, let alone going through the motions of the game,” he said. He added that rehabilitation was important, as was understanding your own body and having a good medical team around you.

Bowling in the modern white-ball game

Asked how fast bowlers can succeed in white-ball cricket now, with high scores and entertainment often dominating, Naseem said bowlers needed a wider range of skills. “You have to toy with a batter’s mindset in modern-day white-ball cricket given the nature of surfaces around the world and the focus on entertainment through run-fests,” he said. “One ought to become more skilful and developed as a bowler in these times.”

Looking ahead to the World Cup

Naseem is also in Pakistan’s squad for the one-day international tri-series involving England and Sri Lanka, part of the build-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. Shaheen Shah Afridi is set to lead the side there, and Pakistan open against Afghanistan on October 8, 2027.

In 34 ODIs, Naseem has taken 60 wickets at an average of 25.91 and a strike rate of 28.3. His two five-wicket hauls came in consecutive matches: 5-33 against the Netherlands in August 2022 and 5-57 against New Zealand in January 2023. That made him only the sixth Pakistan bowler to take at least two consecutive five-wicket hauls in the format.

“I feel I’m yet to play my peak cricket,” he said. “Whatever the cricket I’ve played so far, especially Test cricket, I think I lacked a few things.” His aim, he said, is to perform so well that there is no need to talk about goals out loud. “When there are fewer injuries and you are bowling with good rhythm, everything falls into place itself.”

Why it matters

A fit Naseem gives Pakistan a pace option who can bowl with the new ball and at the end of an innings, which matters in the build-up to a World Cup in South African conditions. His fitness record is the main question, and the tri-series will show whether he can bowl heavy workloads in one-day cricket after seven months out.

This article draws on reporting by The Express Tribune.