Pakistan’s teenage pace sensation Naseem Shah on Sunday (May 31) said he is looking forward to the chance to face India and would relish bowling to the modern-day great Virat Kohli.
WATCH- Naseem Shah breaks down remembering his late mother during press-conference
Naseem received his maiden Test cap at the age of 16 against Australia in November 2019 and took the cricketing world by storm with his exceptional talent.
Earlier this year, Shah became the youngest bowler to claim an international hat-trick when he achieved the feat against Bangladesh in a Test match at Rawalpindi.
His wish to play against the arch-rivals could be fulfilled this year at the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup, although both the events are currently under threat due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“India versus Pakistan is always special, and I have already been told that players can become heroes and villains in those matches,” Naseem said in an interview with PakPassion.net.
“They are special matches as they happen so rarely and yes, I am looking forward to playing against India whenever that opportunity arises. I hope that I can bowl well against India when that chance comes by and won’t let our fans down.
“As for Virat Kohli, I respect him but don’t fear him. It’s always a challenge to bowl to the best, but that’s where you have to raise your game. I look forward to playing against Virat Kohli and India whenever that chance comes,” he added.
Reflecting on his hat-trick against Bangladesh, the 17-year-old said: “It was incredible. The best thing about it was that it was in my home country and in front of my countrymen at Rawalpindi.”
“I know Pakistan has been starved of international cricket for many years and in a way, I hope it was a special moment for fans who were at the ground. I wasn’t too happy with the way I had bowled in the first innings in that Test match against Bangladesh, and I wanted to make amends for it in the second innings and that hat-trick definitely made me feel better.”
“I just hope it’s the first of many records I can break during my career, but above all, it meant that I had helped Pakistan towards victory,” the speedster further stated.
