Nasir Jamshed

A left-hand opening batsman, Nasir Jamshed has shown enough promise to be considered a long-term prospect in the Pakistan batting line-up. He made his international debut in early 2008, in the home ODI series against Zimbabwe, and though he did reasonably well in his early games, he was dropped in 2009 and spent two-and-a-half years away from international cricket. He returned with his appetite suitably whetted, and 2012 was a particularly memorable year for him, as he scored two ODI hundreds against India, and followed up with one more early the next year to firmly establish himself at the top of the order. An aggressive batsman, Jamshed plays strokes all round the wicket, but also backs it up with sound temperament and an ability to convert starts into big scores.

Jamshed's talent was visible from his junior days, and he made a mark very early in his cricketing career. Following an impressive 74 for National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) on his first-class debut when aged only 15, Nasir Jamshed was selected for the Pakistan Under-19s side to play the visiting Sri Lankans. Scoring a 44 and a 204 on his debut, he helped his side draw that match after Pakistan had conceded a 253-run first-innings lead. Although he failed to replicate those performances for the remainder of the season, he remained part of the NBP squad as well as representing Lahore. Jamshed was also part of the Pakistan U-19 squad that successfully defended its title in 2006, beating India by 38 runs.

Jamshed's break, however, came in the 2007-08 season where he scored 800 runs in ten Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches with the help of three centuries and was selected to play for the Patron's XI side that took on the touring Zimbabweans. A 182 off only 240 deliveries was enough for his name to be shortlisted for the 15-probables for the ODI series. He didn't immediately make a huge impact in international cricket, but in 2012 he showed that all the talk about his early promise wasn't misplaced.
ESPNcricinfo staff