Naseem Shah returned to the Pakistan national team for a Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka last week. The bowler claimed three wickets for 36 runs in four overs during the opening match of the series.
Shah achieved a first-ball breakthrough and reached bowling speeds in the mid-140s during the encounter. Pakistan won the T20I series against Sri Lanka with a score of 2-1.
The fast bowler has taken 155 wickets in 93 international matches throughout his career. In Test cricket, Shah has claimed 60 wickets at an average of 35.13, while his ODI tally stands at 60 wickets with a strike rate of 28.3 and an average of 25.91.
Born in February 2003 in Mayar, Lower Dir, Shah made his Test debut against Australia in Brisbane in November 2019. Three months after his debut, Shah claimed a hat-trick against Bangladesh at the age of 16 years and 359 days, becoming the youngest bowler to achieve the feat in Test history.
He previously recorded a five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka at age 16 and took 5-33 against the Netherlands in August 2022. Shah also took 5-57 against New Zealand in January 2023, becoming only the sixth Pakistan bowler to take five wickets in consecutive ODI innings.
A back injury early in his career sidelined him for more than one year, and he suffered a tendon injury during the 2023 Asia Cup match against India. The back injury also ruled him out of the Pakistan Super League earlier this year and kept him away from the national side for seven months.
"You go back to zero whenever you are injured," Shah said. Shah is included in the squad for the ODI tri-series against England and Sri Lanka, while Pakistan will start its 2027 World Cup campaign against Afghanistan on Oct 8.
The bowler was previously fined Rs20m following a social media post regarding Punjab CM Maryam.
