Samiullah Khan: “Bowling at 147-148 kph takes more than talent; it demands relentless fitness work”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan left-arm seamer Samiullah Khan has told pace bowler Akif Javed that bowling at 147 to 148 kph “takes more than talent”.
He stressed how important it is for Akif to keep working on his fitness so that his body doesn’t break down when bowling at such high speeds.
The 24-year-old is seen as one of the brightest prospects in the country, especially after his recent performances in domestic cricket and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
In the Champions T20 Cup, Akif was the joint third-highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets in 10 matches for the Markhors at an average of 20.86.
As for the BPL, where he played for the Rangpur Riders, the Kohat native is the third-highest wicket-taker with 20 wickets in 11 games at an average of 14.30.
“Bowling at 147-148 kph takes more than talent; it demands relentless fitness work,” Samiullah told PakPassion.
Akif was not picked for Pakistan’s recent tours of Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, nor for their two-Test series against the West Indies in Multan.
He also wasn’t selected for the ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, and the 2025 Champions Trophy, which will take place from February 19 to March 9.
Pakistan Squad for 2025 Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah