Ihsanullah: Pakistan's latest pace sensation to emerge from PSL

They say Pakistan has a never-ending supply of fast bowlers. And judging by the talent they throw up every edition of the Pakistan Super League, that belief is well-placed.

Fast bowlers like Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain have shot into the limelight in the T20 tournament and it looks like it will be the turn of another young pacer to make his mark on the game soon.

Multan Sultans pacer Ihsanullah set the tournament alight on Wednesday as he bowled a devastating spell against Quetta Gladiators. The 20-year-old pacer picked up 5-12 from his four overs, including a maiden, to help dismiss Quetta for 110 and set up a nine-wicket win.

Right-arm pacer Ihsanullah clocked speeds of over 150kph and operated in the 140kph range throughout his spell. In fact, Ihsanullah's was the fastest completed spell in the history of the tournament. According to CricViz, the average speed of his spell was 144.37kph, which is the quickest ever in PSL and beat the effort by Rauf for Lahore Qalandars against Peshawar Zalmi last year.

The young pacer hails from the new nursery of Pakistan cricket - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Born in the picturesque Swat valley, Ihsanullah comes from a very humble background.

He made his first-class debut last September after making his PSL bow earlier in January. In all, he has played just seven first-class matches, 11 one-day and 10 T20 games but has left a serious impression in all three. He is the highest wicket-taker for KP in the first-class Quaid-e-Azam trophy in the 2022-23 season with 22 wickets from seven games. He is also the second highest wicket-taker in the Pakistan ODI Cup for 2022-23 with 25 scalps.

Ihsanullah's emergence is another feather in the cap of KP, who are now