- BCCI Agreed to Let Pakistan Host the Asia Cup 2023 - March 25, 2023
- Lahore Qalandars Defend their Title after a Tense PSL 8 Final - March 20, 2023
- PSL 8 Flop XI: Big Players Who Failed to Make an Impact - March 19, 2023
Born on 12th October 2002, the 20-year-old young gun Ihsanullah hails from the region of Swat Valley, KPK. He lost his home in the devastating Pakistani floods in 2022 but that didn’t stop him from achieving his dream, and that was to become the latest Pakistani pace sensation who can consistently click above +145 kph.
Cricket Career
Ihsanullah had represented FATA in PCBβs Under-16 tournament and was the second-highest wicket-taker. Somehow he vanished from the domestic circuit for several years until 2022.
Ihsanullah got enrolled in βKamyab Jawan Sports Driveβ a talent programme initiated by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Three PSL franchises – Lahore, Karachi & Multan – had an eye on him in PSL 7 Draft but Multan managed to grab him. He played just one match in last year’s PSL 7 against Karachi Kings but then got injured and was ruled out for the rest of the tournament.
After completing his rehabilitation the tall six-footer made his First Class debut on 27th September 2022 for KPK against Central Punjab in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022 & got three wickets with Asad Shafiq becoming his first-ever victim. He went on to play the National T20 Cup and the Pakistan One Day Cup 2022 where he was the second leading wicket-taker with 25 wickets (one 5-wicket & 4-wicket haul) with a brilliant average of 19.96 and a strike rate of 18.2 and an economy of 6.58.
Career Bowling Average
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Average | SR | Econ | Best Fig |
| FC | 7 | 22 | 28.22 | 41.7 | 4.05 | 5/70 |
| List A | 11 | 25 | 19.96 | 18.2 | 6.58 | 5/49 |
| T20 | 11 | 18 | 12.88 | 11.7 | 6.56 | 5/12 |
Also read: Big blow for Multan Sultans as their star batter is set to miss out on PSL
Pace of 150 kph?
His average speed in domestic cricket was around 130 kph but he often touched 140 kph. Seeing his transformation the management saw him as a young pacer who could increase his speed.
His coach Rehman talked to the reporters & let us have an insight into this jump in Ihsanullah’s pace. He said:
“He had minor issues in his action like running with bigger steps in early days but with time & with minor tweaks, he started to get fluent. He [has] got height, his muscles are building and he is growing with every game he is playing. He understands the importance of fitness and the mechanics of fast bowling. A proper fast bowler. The good thing about him is not just pace but he is economical with speed as well and it’s a complete package. With time he has room to add another 2kph to what he bowled yesterday (150 kph). We entered into the tournament with him as our main bowler & we can rely on him.”
Performance in PSL 8
The latest Pakistani pace sensation has taken PSL 8 by storm. With 10 wickets in 3 matches so far with an economy of just 6.16, he is the tournament’s leading wicket-taker currently.
He burst onto the scene in just his second game this season. His spell of 5-12 against Quetta Gladiators was bowled with the fierce pace with batters having no clue whatsoever. His 4 out of 5 wickets included the likes of Jason Roy, Sarfraz Ahmed, Umar Akmal & the in-form Iftikhar Ahmed.
Yesterday he got the big wicket of Babar Azam in a big chase with his first delivery & returned with figures of 3/24.
He has already bowled the fastest over in PSL history with an average speed of 144.16 kph ahead of Wahab Riaz, Haris Rauf & Naseem Shah and the fastest delivery of this PSL with a speed of 152.65 kph.
The Latest Pakistani Pace Sensation
Pakistan Cricket has a rich heritage of producing fast bowlers. With the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar and many more bursting onto the scene at a young age, Pakistani fans can feel optimistic that Ihsanullah fulfills his potential and serves Pakistan cricket for a long period of time.
It’s still too early to judge and let’s not put the kid under too much pressure. But if he has this desire and passion for playing for Pakistan, this guy has the potential to do it.
Read more:
