Naseem Shah to make Pakistan debut against Australia in first Test

The 16-year-old is set to become the ninth youngster player to feature in a Test when he takes his place in the XI at Brisbane

Pakistan will give teenage sensation Naseem Shah his international debut in the first Test against Australia at Brisbane.

The seamer is set to become the ninth youngest player to feature in a Test, at 16 years and 279 days.

Naseem has only played seven first-class matches but impressed in the warm-up games against Australia A and a Cricket Australia XI.

His outing in the first tour game at Perth came in the wake of the death of his mother.

"Not many players can be at that standard so early but there are exceptions and he is one of them," said captain Azhar Ali, who revealed that Naseem will be part of the XI.

"And hopefully, we are all looking forward to it, that ... he can have a very successful career.

"When I saw him first, I was so surprised. The control he had, the pace he had - and the temperament and the composure when he bowls is so much exciting to see."

In his clutch of red-ball outings - the first of which only came in September - Nassem has taken 27 wickets at an average of 16.66. He has also played one List A game and four domestic T20s.

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Fellow youngster Shaheen Afridi, who has played just three Tests, is also set to feature as part of a bowling battery including Mohammad Abbas and Yasir Shah.

Pakistan have a long history of blooding uncapped stars at a tender age, with four of the youngster eight Test players hailing from the Men in Green.

Wasim Akram was just 18 when he made his Pakistan Test bow in 1985 and he went on to finish as the nation's highest-ever wicket-taker, with 414 scalps.

"In my opinion, if somebody has got pace, somebody has got first-class cricket under his belt, I think he’s ready to bowl," said the former left-armer. 

"Naseem is 16 and I reckon he’s ready to play. He’s been through a lot in the last week and a half, as we all know, his mum passed away but he stayed back to represent his country so I wish him all the luck. Exciting times for Pakistan cricket."

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