After delivering the fastest bowl of the Big Bash League (BBL) on 1 January against Melbourne Stars, Pakistan's fast bowler Usman Shinwari is now said to have become the reason Melbourne Renegades cruised to victory over Brisbane Heat in BBL. Analysts and commentators say his bowling gave batsmen a tough time.
"I enjoyed playing the match against Melbourne Stars at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) the most."
Shinwari is a left arm pace bowler from Pakistan who burst onto the scene taking five wickets against a Misbah-ul-Haq-led SNGPL side in the final of the departmental T20 Cup, as a teenager.
A chance at BBL
He said he was with the Pakistani team playing the Asia Cup in Dubai when he received a call from the manager who told him that he had an offer to play at the BBL.
“How could I say no to such top class cricket. I want to learn and become better,” he says.
Shinwari thinks his bowling speed became the reason he was chosen to play in BBL. During BBL, his fastest bowl was recorded at 151 km/hr. He says he idealises Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhter.
“Such leagues and international opportunities give players an immense boost of confidence and attack.”
“It is the coach’s right to get upset and angry if the players do not perform.”
When asked about what he thought led to Pakistani team’s poor bowling attack in the ongoing test series in South Africa, Shinwari said he didn’t think that Pakistani bowling attack was weak. He said it was important to note that bowlers needed a bigger run target for a stronger attack to defend and get wickets/catches. The South African side is also quite strong, he added.
The dressing-room controversy
Pakistan's Usman Khan Shinwari celebrates the dismissal of Sri Lanka's Dinesh Chandimal during their forth ODI cricket match in Sharjah Oct, 2017. Source: AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili
Shinwari says there is no credibility to the controversial media coverage of what happened between Pakistani cricket team coach Mickey Arthur and some players in the dressing room.
According to media reports, Arthur reportedly lost his cool in the dressing room and bashed captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, and batsmen Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq after their dismal performance against South Africa at Centurion last month.
Shinwari says even if the coach had said something, as a senior, he had the right to point out mistakes.
“It is the coach’s right to get upset and angry if the players do not perform.”
He says it was not as big or serious an issue, and the mainstream and social media had blown it out of proportion. 
Best moments in Australia
Source: Shinwari's Instagram
Shinwari says he enjoyed playing the match against Melbourne Stars at MCG the most.
“It is a dream for any player to play at the MCG. I really enjoyed it there.”
Shinwari's fastest bowl at BBL was recorded at 151 km/hr.
He came to Australia to play seven matches under the BBL and says he absolutely fell in love with the country.
"It is my first time in Australia and I am blown away with its beauty," he told SBS Urdu.
He says he loves nature and finds peace in natural environments. Whenever he gets time between matches and training, he says, he spends it at a beach or goes up some hill around Melbourne. He loved the weather, too, he said.
In Australia, Shinwari spent most of his time in Melbourne, and some in Adelaide and Brisbane. He is now set to join his Pakistani cricket team in South Africa.
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