Azhar Mahmood: “He’s worked really hard on his fitness and his skills, his agility and his game”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood believes fast bowler Naseem Shah will soon return to his best, citing the significant time and effort the pacer has invested in improving his fitness and skills.
Naseem has generally been a dependable performer for Pakistan, but has struggled to make a similar impact in recent outings.
The 23-year-old recently represented Rawalpindiz in the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and took two wickets in three matches at an average of 43 and an economy rate of 10.32 before his campaign was cut short by a side strain.
Mahmood noted before the tournament that Naseem had been putting in the hard yards, and expects the young quick to reap the rewards of his efforts in the near future.
“He’s worked really hard on his fitness and his skills, his agility and his game,” he was quoted as saying by respected journalist Saj Sadiq on X.
After PSL 11, Pakistan were beaten 2-0 by Bangladesh in a Test series before bouncing back to take down Australia 2-1 in a three-match ODI series.
Next up for them will be a tour of the West Indies, which will comprise two Tests in Trinidad and Tobago from July 25 to August 6.