When England pace bowler James Anderson made his entry into Test cricket in 2003, Pakistan\u2019s Naseem Shah was barely three months old.
\nOn Thursday they will be spearheading their respective team\u2019s pace attacks in Rawalpindi with England playing their first Test on Pakistan soil for 17 years.
\nThe precocious Shah, 19, showered praise Tuesday on Anderson, saying he hopes to learn from the 40-year-old veteran.
\n\u201cHe is a legend,\u201d said Shah after training at Rawalpindi Stadium.
\n\u201cI have learned from him and will [continue to] learn from him.\u201d
\nShah has made rapid progress since his Test debut in Australia in 2019.
\nThat year he also became the youngest fast bowler to take five wickets in a Test \u2014 against Sri Lanka in Karachi at the age of just 16 years and 307 days.
\nTwo months later he became the youngest to a Test hat trick, against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.
\nDespite his own record, Shah is full of admiration for Anderson, whose 667 Test wickets are eclipsed only by Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Australian Shane Warne (708).
\n\u201cI think it is a big achievement for him that he is still playing and is very fit \u2026 that shows how much hard work he has been doing,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cHe knows everything about bowling, having played everywhere in the world, so he is one of the best.\u201d
\nShah relishes the challenge of leading Pakistan\u2019s pace attack in the absence of his illustrious new ball partner Shaheen Shah Afridi, who will miss the series with a knee injury.
\n\u201cShaheen was also injured in Sri Lanka [in July] so even then I took responsibility and I am again ready for that,\u201d said Naseem.
\n\u201cWhen your best bowler gets injured it makes a big difference, so we have to take that responsibility, use the new ball well.\u201d
\nBesides Shah, Pakistan have three uncapped pace bowlers in Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Junior and Mohammad Ali.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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