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Towering Zeeshan aims to bowl Pakistan to victory in the U19 World Cup
Lahore, 17 January 2024:
Fast bowler Mohammad Zeeshan is eager to send down thunderbolts and disturb the batters at the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2024. He boasts a towering presence at 6 feet 8 inches, and enjoys the extra bounce that he extracts on all surfaces. Zeeshan started his cricket in a village on the outskirts of Faisalabad, where he used to play a lot of tape-ball cricket before shifting to leather-ball cricket.
In a chat with PCB Digital, he shared, “My parents have played a great role in my career so far. They have looked after my needs and supported me throughout. I started playing proper cricket after joining Faisal Cricket Club in Faisalabad. I was selected to play for Central Punjab U19 after trials. I featured in the National U19 Cup 2021-22 and as a result, the coaches summoned me to Pakistan U19 training camp for ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2022.”
Zeeshan was added to Pakistan’s squad for the 2022 U19 World Cup as a travelling reserve. He made his debut for Pakistan U19 in the home One-Day series against Bangladesh in Multan where he took six wickets in three games.
His breakthrough moment came when he became the leading wicket-taker of the Pakistan Junior League with 14 wickets in eight games. Zeeshan also received his solitary List A cap in Pakistan Cup 2021-22, representing Central Punjab.
Talking about his skills as a fast bowler he stated, “Hitting the good length is my strength. I extract uneven bounce and enjoy disturbing the batters from that area. While opening the bowling I intend to make the batter play the ball and outfox him with out-swing. I’m blessed with unusual height and often batters are under pressure while facing me.”
Zeeshan featured in the ACC U19 Asia Cup 2023-24 and bagged the second-best bowling figures for Pakistan U19, besides Shaheen Shah Afridi, in a One-Day game with figures of 6-19 against Nepal U19. He ended the tournament as the second-leading wicket-taker with 11 scalps.
“We had a ten-day camp at NCA before leaving for the World Cup, which put us in great stead,” Zeeshan said. “The best thing is that our players are fit and willing to do well. The preparations have been top notch and we aim to win the World Cup for the country.”