KARACHI: Fast bowlers will need to rely on discipline rather than sheer speed to be effective in conditions at play in the ongoing tri-nation series and the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah has said.

Pakistan are the hosts of both tournaments, with the Champions Trophy to start on Feb 19. The tri-nation series — involving South Africa and New Zealand along with the hosts — meanwhile, is to feature two more matches; Pakistan’s clash against the Proteas on Wednesday and the final on Friday.

If Pakistan are to make it to the final, they have to bounce back strongly after receiving a 78-run thrashing from New Zealand in the tournament opener.

The fixture saw Pakistan’s premium pacers Naseem and Shaheen Shah Afridi leak 70 and 88 runs respectively, raising questions over their status as the team’s fast bowling spearheads.

Both players have been subjected to criticism over their fitness issues and dropping bowling speeds. For Naseem though, it isn’t all about pace on Pakistan’s surfaces.

“If you look at the last match, I still bowled around 140, which is normal in one-day cricket,” Naseem said during a press conference ahead of Pakistan’s training session here at the National Bank Stadium on Monday. “If you look at bowlers around the world, only a few bowl consistently at 145-150.

“In my opinion, if you’re bowling at 137-140 with good line and length, it’s still impactful.

“The focus should be on discipline and line rather than pace alone. The average speed these days is around that range, and as a bowler, how you execute is more important than sheer speed.”

Pakistan’s crushing defeat at the hands of New Zealand raised doubts over their ability to defend the Champions Trophy. But Naseem believed the players were aware of the mistakes they made during the fixture and were already looking to bounce back.

“As an international player, you know when you make a mistake,” he noted. “We discuss these things within the team and work to correct them. “It’s about learning from those mistakes, working hard to improve, and showcasing our efforts on the field. The goal is to cover up those mistakes through hard work and better performance.”

After the tri-nation series, Pakistan will open their Champions Trophy campaign against New Zealand only, before they fly out to Dubai to face India in their second group match on Feb 23.

While the match is the most anticipated clash of the eight-team tournament, Naseem said there had been no talk about it in the Pakistan dressing room.

“We haven’t had a discussion about what or what we are not going to do against India,” he observed. “We are focused on how we play well in the entire tournament because we want to reach the final and win it.

“If we concentrate only on one match, our target will not be met. It is a pressure match and the team that handles it well, plays their best cricket on that day, will win.”

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2025