Pakistan fast bowler Khurram Shahzad: “My bowling action is natural, but my run-up and action are quite similar to Dale Steyn. He’s my favourite and also my idol, so I always try to bowl like him”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan seamer Khurram Shahzad said his run-up and bowling action “are quite similar to Dale Steyn”.
He noted that the legendary South Africa fast bowler is his “idol” as he was the number one bowler for numerous years.
Shahzad added that tries to learn from Steyn by watching videos of him online.
“My bowling action is natural, but my run-up and action are quite similar to Dale Steyn. He’s my favourite and also my idol, so I always try to bowl like him. He’s a legendary cricketer and was the world’s number one bowler for many years, dominating the game across all formats. I love watching his videos and studying them carefully to learn as much as I can from him,” he told Geo News.
Shahzad hasn’t been in action for Pakistan recently as he missed the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in Lahore, along with the T20I tour of Bangladesh, the white-ball tour of the West Indies, and the T20I tri-series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan.
Instead, he has been playing county cricket for Worcestershire in England.
In the Vitality Blast, the 25-year-old picked up seven wickets in five matches at an average of 21.85 and an economy rate of 8.12.
He has also claimed 12 wickets in seven One-Day Cup games at an average of 28.75.
As for the County Championship, Shahzad has taken eight wickets in three matches at an average of 40.50.
The Pakistan team are now featuring in the 2025 Asia Cup, which is being played in the UAE.
They won the first match against Oman by 93 runs and will look to maintain a perfect record when they go up against India on September 14 in Dubai.
Pakistan squad for UAE T20I tri-series and 2025 Asia Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem