The buzz inside Lahore’s National Cricket Academy has shifted from routine drills to the roar of a gun‑like delivery, as coaches watched a lanky teenager from Jhang unleash a thunderbolt that touched the 152 km/h mark. In a country where raw pace has long been a hallmark of its cricketing identity, the emergence of another bowler capable of such velocity has reignited hopes of rebuilding a formidable fast‑bowling attack for the national side.
During a recent talent‑identification camp, right‑arm pacer Qayyum Khan demonstrated not only blistering speed but also a surprising degree of consistency across a series of net sessions and skill drills. The PCB’s scouting panel, led by former fast‑bowling great Waqar Younis, recorded his peak speed at 152 km/h using the academy’s radar equipment, placing him among the elite handful of Pakistani bowlers who have breached the 150 km/h barrier in recent memory.
Qayyum’s story is rooted in the cricket‑loving lanes of Jhang, a district that has produced occasional national players but rarely a fast bowler of such raw firepower. His rise reflects the PCB’s intensified grassroots programme, launched last year to scour remote towns and schools for untapped talent. By integrating regional academies with the NCA’s high‑tech assessment facilities, the board hopes to widen the pool of pace options beyond the traditional cricketing hubs of Lahore and Karachi.
While the 152 km/h reading is an eye‑catching statistic, PCB officials stress that speed alone will not guarantee a place in the national squad. “We are looking for a blend of speed, accuracy, and the temperament to handle international pressure,” said senior selector Imran Khan (no relation). If Qayyum can translate his laboratory‑like measurements into disciplined spell‑building on the field, he could join the lineage of Pakistani speed legends such as Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and the emerging star Shaheen Afridi, bolstering a pace department that the team has struggled to replenish in recent years.