PSL: The father who never watched cricket, now raising three fast bowlers

Having played a key role in Hyderabad Kingsmen’s stunning run to the Eliminator 2 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), young pace bowler Hunain Shah is now enjoying the limelight.

The younger brother of Pakistan international fast bowler Naseem Shah, Hunain, 22, is on a roll, taking 14 wickets in just eight matches at 17.85.

As he prepares now for Hyderabad’s do-or-die Eliminator clash with three-time champions Islamabad United on Friday, Hunain opened up about drawing inspiration from his elder brother, Naseem, 23, and how their father, Abbas Shah, has now become a big cricket fan.

Remarkably, Ubaid Shah, 20, the youngest brother of the family, is also a promising fast bowler who played for the Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2026. Hunain said there has been no rivalry between the three fast-bowling brothers.

“There's no comparison. Naseem is a role model and inspiration for us. He showed us the way. If he didn't come into cricket, we would probably have been doing something else,” Hunain told ESPNcricinfo.

“Ubaid has had a great time in domestic cricket and with the Shaheens (Pakistan A). Naseem, we all know the heights he's reached.”

Naseem, who made his debut at 16, is among the world’s most talented young pace bowlers, having already played 91 matches for Pakistan across the three formats of the game.   

If Hunain and Ubaid follow in his footsteps and earn Pakistan caps, the Shah family will earn the unique distinction of producing three international pace bowlers.   

But the family is more valuable to Hunain than cricket fame and money.

“We've never really talked about money. Our eldest brother — who's older than Naseem — and our dad take care of running the household,” he said.

“We all live together, and in that sense we've never competed at all.”

Hunain also revealed how Abbas Shah, their father, who never wanted the brothers to become cricketers, now follows the game with a passion.

“Yeah, he follows it more now. A little too much. At the time, he didn't know much at all about cricket. But now he's got three sons in the game, so he doesn't miss any match or ball, especially if Naseem is playing. Until the match is over, he doesn't get up for anything,” Hunain said.

Abbas Shah will probably be watching until the last over when Hunain plays on Friday, backing his son to deliver one more match-winning spell to get Hyderabad into Sunday’s final against Peshawar Zalmi.