LONDON: Waqar Younis is confident that the future of Pakistan’s “trademark” fast bowling is in safe hands after overseeing the latest generation of quicks during their recent tour of England.
Teenage paceman Naseem Shah and 20-year-old left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi both impressed as Pakistan lost the three-match Test series 1-0 but drew the Twenty20 campaign 1-1.
“Fast bowling is the trademark of Pakistan cricket,” said the 48-year-old Waqar, an outstanding fast bowler, in a Pakistan Cricket Board website column published on Thursday.
“There have been so many great ones over the years and I am confident that the future will be bright again,” added Waqar, who formed a celebrated partnership with left-arm quick Wasim Akram and is now Pakistan’s bowling coach.
“We have seen already that Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are wonderful bowlers. Muhammad Musa, who was part of the squad in England, is another, and there are a couple in the under-19s also. Of course, Mohammad Abbas is very seasoned and experienced.”
Abbas, like Waqar and Wasim before him, has played in English county cricket and the coach would like to see the emerging quicks do the same.
“I know from personal experience how much you can learn from playing in England, getting used to different weather and ground conditions, the pitches, and life off the field also,” Waqar said.
“Both Mohammad Amir (Essex) and Mohammad Abbas (Leicestershire) have been really successful for English counties and it has benefited their careers so much as well.”
One consequence of the coronavirus is that players have been banned from using saliva to shine the ball.
But Waqar said the Dukes ball used in England stayed harder for longer than other brands and “made the saliva issue less of a problem.”
Waqar, however, called on the International Cricket Council to designate just one brand of ball for all Test cricket.
“It doesn’t matter which brand but the ICC should make that decision,” he said. “It’s hard for bowlers to adjust to using different types of ball when they play around the world.”
Waqar backs young generation to uphold Pakistan fast bowling tradition
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Waqar backs young generation to uphold Pakistan fast bowling tradition
- Fast bowling is the trademark of Pakistan cricket, says Waqar
- Waqar called on the International Cricket Council to designate just one brand of ball for all Test cricket
Pakistan saw 73% increase in combat-related deaths in 2025— think tank
- Pakistan reported 3,387 deaths thus year, among them 2,115 militants and 664 security forces personnel, says think tank
- Civilian deaths increased by 24% to 580 in 2025, compared to 468 in 2024, as Pakistan saw 1,063 militant attacks in 2025
ISLAMABAD: Combat-related deaths in Pakistan this year increased by 73%, with both security forces and militants suffering casualties in large numbers, a report published by an Islamabad-based think tank said on Sunday.
As per statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), combat-related deaths in 2025 rose 73% to 3,387, compared with 1,950 in 2024. These deaths included 2,115 militants, 664 security forces personnel, 580 civilians and 28 members of pro-government peace committees (combatants), the think tank said in a press release.
“Militants accounted for about 62% of total combat-related deaths, and their 2,115 fatalities represented the highest annual militant death toll since 2015, when 2,322 militants were killed,” PICSS said.
Compared to last year, militant deaths recorded a steep increase by 122% as the PICSS reported that 951 militants had been killed in 2024.
The think tank, however, said this year was also particularly bloody for Pakistani security forces. PICSS recorded 664 security personnel deaths in 2025, a 26% rise from 528 in 2024, and the highest annual figure since 2011, when 677 security forces personnel lost their lives.
Civilian deaths also increased by 24% to 580 in 2025, compared with 468 in 2024, marking the highest annual civilian toll since 2015, when 642 civilians were killed.
As per the PICSS report, at least 1,063 militant attacks took place in 2025, a 17% increase compared with 908 in 2024 and the highest annual total since 2014, when 1,609 militant attacks were recorded.
The report also noted a 53 percent increase in suicide attacks this year, with 26 such incidents reported in 2025 compared with 17 in 2024.
“PICSS noted an expanding trend in the use of small drones, including quadcopters, with 33 such incidents recorded during 2025, alongside increased use of unmanned aerial vehicles by security forces,” the report said.
The report noted an 83% rise in arrests of suspected militants, with 497 arrested in 2025 compared to 272 in 2024.
This 2025 figure is the highest annual total of suspected militants arrested since 2017, when 1,781 militants were either arrested or laid down their weapons.
“PICSS noted that most violence remained concentrated in Pashtun-majority districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the tribal districts (erstwhile FATA), and in Balochistan,” it said.
Pakistan has been grappling with a surge in militant attacks in its western provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both bordering Afghanistan, this year.
Islamabad blames Afghanistan for providing sanctuaries to militants it alleges use Afghan soil to carry out attacks against Pakistan. Kabul denies the charges.
