Meet Tahir Hussain — fast bowling hotbed Vehari's latest product

Mohammad Wasim and his five-for stole all the limelight during Pakistan U-19 team's win over Scotland in their opening fixture of the World Cup.

However, few realise that Wasim's devastation of the Scots' middle to lower order was only possible because of a certain Tahir Hussain's demolition job in the opening over when he castled two batsmen on back-to-back balls.

Hussain hails from Vehari — the district that has produced stalwarts like Waqar Younis, Mohammad Zahid, and Mohammad Irfan.

He says he grew up watching videos of Younis and always enjoyed his bowling.

"Waqar Younis is a legend and an inspiration for the people of the area. I have seen some videos of his bowling and enjoyed those," he said.

With the proportion of Vehari boys making it to the top pretty high, Tahir says support from family to play cricket wasn't difficult to get.

"My family supported me and everyone backed me and there was no issue as such with me playing. All of them are happy to see me play the U19 World Cup," he said.

Surprisingly though, Hussain's role model is not Younis or Irfan but Mohammad Amir — a normal-sized left-armer like him.

Hussain impressed on Sunday but is not content on resting on his laurels. "Of course, it is an opportunity of a lifetime and I would want to make the most of it by learning various aspects of the game both on and off the field," he said.

"My aim is to become the best bowler of the tournament and help my team to glory along the way. We all realise that this event is a very important stepping stone for our careers."

When asked which big name batsman he would like to dismiss, Hussain was quick to answer.

"I think getting Virat Kohli out is a big target. He is the topmost player in the world," he added.

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