Naseem Shah’s career is one that seems like a dream come true. He made his debut at 16, can bowl fast, and is the spearhead of their bowling attack all at the tender age of 19. Still a teenager, Naseem Shah has barely begun his journey. With Shaheen Shah Afridi injured, Naseem Shah quickly ascended to the role of attack leader.

As a youngster, he did not get the chance of living the role of the young livewire in the side. Usually, being the youngest member in the side allows a player to have some breathing space as he is seen as the energy of the unit. Naseem Shah though has quickly found that he is the one that needs to shoulder their fast bowling unit.

He started with the Test format, but then quickly found himself leading the attack in the other white-ball formats too. Once he found himself playing all formats, Naseem Shah moved around without any breaks. Since the Sri Lanka tour in 2022, he played each game for the side, missing games only due to Covid and the shoulder injury which recently kept him out of the second England Test. His comeback from the shoulder injury though was a brutal as ever as he sent down the most overs in his side.

If the Test season wasn’t enough, Naseem Shah quickly found himself back for the ODIs against New Zealand. He has the third highest workload, after Tim Southee and Mitchell Starc, since July 2022. However, unlike them, Naseem Shah’s body is still growing, and not equipped for such a workload.

His rise though has been very quick. After a tough inception to Test Cricket in Australia, Naseem Shah went through some of the most concerning injuries a fast bowler could go through. Naseem Shah though quickly started his rise. He became a central figure in the white-ball side barely a few games after his debut. Shah tormented the Indians in the Asia Cup, holding on with cramps, and displayed immense character in his early white-ball days.

Now, a lot more mature than he was few months ago, Naseem Shah finally has the chance of bowling with an ODI attack that is close to full strength. As a bowler he is proving himself consistently. From taking wickets on spinning tracks to bowling one of the best wicketless spells in T20 Cricket, Naseem Shah has seen it all very early.

He continued to toil away in a bowlers graveyard at Rawalpindi. With Shaheen Shah injured and Haris Rauf joining the injury list, Naseem Shah saw himself share the ball with new bowlers each game. He has been a constant in the side, and has a workload that wasn’t his to be in the first place. with Shaheen Shah out for a prolonged period though, the workload falls upon Naseem Shah.

With age on his side, he is getting away with it. However, Naseem Shah has gone through some threatening injuries, and with a growing body, a time may come for him to be watchful. Pakistan has a history of burning out their fast bowlers early, which is why only three have gone past the 200 Test wickets mark. He is one of their leading lights and Pakistan will hope Naseem Shah continues to shoulder the workload.