Genuine fast bowlers are an uncommon commodity in cricket. At the lower tier of international cricket, they are truly rare.
So when a young pace bowler shows up clocking close to 90mph in his first senior professional tournament, you take note.
When Zeeshan Naseer lined up to bowl his first over for Team Abu Dhabi in the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament against Ajman, England's opening batsman Alex Hales did not have any idea what to expect. The first ball cut him in half with a massive in-swinger, the third ball hit him flush on the gloves, the fourth beat his outside edge and the fifth ball was nicked behind to wicketkeeper Phil Salt.
To the naked eye, Naseer looked rapid. In the next over, the speed gun confirmed it. Naseer had been clocked at 143kph (89mph). Naseer beat experienced batsmen like Jimmy Neesham, Gulbadin Naib and Ravi Bopara for pace and movement in a superb debut in T10, finishing with 2-8 from his two overs.
The 24-year-old fast bowler, who hails from Lahore, picked up another two-wicket haul in his next match but went wicketless in his last two games. He had made a big impression by then, though.
His Abu Dhabi teammates had already seen what he can do during training. England batsman Jonny Bairstow had been particularly impressed by Naseer's pace and aggression. Now, the rest of the teams in the T10 tournament – and also those in UAE cricket – got to see it first hand.
"I really enjoyed bowling to Jonny Bairstow in the nets. I managed to bowl well at him and got good feedback from him. Then in the second match [and first], I was clocked at 143kph. I had no idea I could bowl at 90mph," Naseer told The National.
Watching him bowl with pace and accuracy, you need to be reminded that this is his first senior professional tournament. Naseer started playing club cricket in the UAE only two years ago after failing to land any significant playing opportunities in Lahore. He played in Dubai and then in Ajman, before landing a chance to impress in the ILT20 Development Tournament for Gulf Giants.
Having impressed sufficiently, Naseer was picked for Team Abu Dhabi. And while the jump up to senior professional level can be challenging for many, Naseer has found it strangely comforting, as hardly any batsmen know he can bowl fast.
"This is my first major tournament at professional level. What I have found so far is that at domestic level, batsmen know about me. But here [in T10], they do not know about me. So for now, it is easier for me [to surprise batsmen]," he said.
However, it is only a matter of time before batsmen change their tactics against him. Naseer knows he needs to learn as much as he can from his more illustrious teammates about improving and maintaining his pace, fitness and also the art of fast bowling.
"[Pakistan fast bowler and Abu Dhabi teammate] Rumman Raees bhai has been guiding me very well. He is teaching me about line and length, also what I need to improve pace. Especially the exercises that I need to improve my speed.
"Adam Milne has also been very helpful and inspiring. Seeing players bowling genuine pace, I also wish to bowl as fast."
Like most pacers from Pakistan, Naseer hopes to emulate one of the fiercest bowlers of all time – Shoaib Akhtar. But it is not just pace he is after. In the Abu Dhabi T10 so far, Naseer has show the ability to move the ball both ways at pace, which can be lethal on more helpful surfaces.
"I want to bowl like Shoaib Akhtar. Also, I hope to swing it like Mohammad Amir. I have not talked to him [Amir, who is playing for New York Strikes in T10] yet, I don’t even know if he has seen my bowling. I hope to meet him, because my action resembles his a little bit."
Naseer would have surely caught the eye of some in the UAE cricket establishment. He has been playing in UAE only for a couple of years, so still has some time to go before he could be considered for the national team setup. However, the ingredients are all there for what could be an inspiring career.
For now, Naseer is focused on the Abu Dhabi T10, then hopefully the DP World ILT20, and possibly a chance to bowl to the UAE team during training camps. Whatever happens after that, is up to fate.
"Whether I get spotted because of my pace as all down to luck. You never know who likes what. Obviously, making it to the UAE set up is my dream. Whenever they call me, I will be available. Inshallah, I will get to play."
