As if Pakistan’s record-breaking 228-run defeat to India wasn’t bad enough, Pakistan were dealt a further blow when two of their much vaunted fast-bowling triumvirate failed to see out the first innings with the ball or emerge with the bat in the dying throes of the second. To make matters worse, Naseem Shah has been ruled out of the Asia Cup, with Haris Rauf a significant doubt, hampering Pakistan’s chances of a third title. Fast-bowling reserves have since been flown into Sri Lanka.

Any injury to key players three weeks out from the World Cup is bound to cause angst, and Pakistan were keen to point out they would rather err on the side of caution when it comes to managing Naseem and Rauf’s return. But when it comes to fast bowling, Pakistan’s reputation is one of high quality, as well as high quantity. In calling up Shahnawaz Dahani and Zaman Khan, Pakistan might argue they are drawing upon players who would play international cricket much more regularly in a side where competition for fast-bowling slots wasn’t so extreme.

Zaman Khan

Zaman makes his ODI debut tomorrow in what will be just his eighth 50-over game. The 22-year-old made his T20 debut just two years ago at the National T20 Cup and burst onto the national conscience as an express pace bowler with a slingy action in the following PSL. While control was initially an issue, he made his mark with a stellar PSL campaign earlier this year, taking 15 wickets, developing a reputation as a superb death-overs-yorker bowler, famously bowling the final over of the tournament and closing out a one-run victory for Lahore Qalandars against Multan Sultans.

That has propelled him into demand on the T20 circuit, as well as an international debut in the format. He spent much of the summer in England with Derbyshire in the T20 Blast, and the Manchester Originals in the Hundred, and while the economy rate is a shade on the high side, Zaman’s yorkers at their most accurate can be as close to unplayable as it gets.

Shahnawaz Dahani

Dahani isn’t yet officially part of the squad but has been called up as cover in the event that Rauf is ruled out completely. Dahani, in the 2021 PSL, was a wholesome revelation, finishing as the top wicket-taker of the tournament, and delighting as much with his bubbling personality as his raw talent and a media persona that hadn’t yet been homogenised by professional sport.

Accuracy, however, has eluded him, and the potential to go for huge runs on off days has limited his game time for Pakistan. Naseem’s white-ball emergence, as well as the presence of Mohammad Hasnain – currently injured – and Zaman has seen Dahani fall down the pecking order. He spent much of the summer in Zimbabwe playing first-class and List A cricket, where he was solid without quite setting the world alight. However, he has a knack of picking up wickets whenever he plays. A five-wicket haul for Pakistan A against Nepal was the highlight, followed by a somewhat indifferent stint in the Lanka Premier League, where he took four wickets in as many games.