Amir, Shaheen, Wahab and Wasim on fast bowlers in HBL PSL.

LAHORE -- The HBL Pakistan Super League has been synonymous with high-quality fast bowling since its inception in 2016. A distinct feature of the league has been the domination of pacers with four of the five leading wicket-takers in the tournament's history being fast bowlers.

Feeding into the depth of Pakistan's pace bowling arsenal, the HBL PSL has produced some talented quicks including Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Muhammad Hasnain, Muhammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shahnawaz Dahani who have made a mark on the international stage.

PCB Digital spoke with Muhammad Amir, Muhammad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Wahab Riaz, as the fast bowlers discussed the mantra to success in T20 cricket, the bowling tactics deployed for different stages of an innings and the impact of HBL PSL on Pakistan's fast bowling landscape. These interviews are available at the HBL PSL YouTube Channel.

Muhammad Amir - Karachi Kings

A longtime member of the Karachi Kings outfit, Amir was the first player to take a hat-trick in HBL PSL when he dismissed Lahore Qalandars' Dwayne Bravo, Zohaib Khan and Kevon Cooper on successive balls in Dubai in 2016. He has taken 54 wickets and also bowled six maiden overs in his 59-match HBL PSL career, most for any bowler in the tournament.

'In T20 cricket, you have to understand what the pitch demands from you as a bowler. You do not worry about which batters are on strike, but instead assess what the wicket requires you to do.

'If there is swing on offer, I will rely on fuller lengths but if the pitch is slow, I will use the off-cutter as my stock ball.

'Nowadays in T20s, there is not a lot of swing to play with apart from the first couple of overs, hence, you have to come up with a strong plan B. You must have different types of deliveries besides conventional swing to outfox the batter.

'As a new-ball bowler, my role in the team is to take early wickets in the Powerplay. On the other hand, while defending a target, I try to create pressure by bowling dot deliveries because if I go for a wicket, I may concede boundaries and the team cannot afford that.'

Muhammad Wasim Junior - Islamabad United

Wasim Jnr has been a dynamic addition to the Islamabad United unit over the past two seasons with his skiddy pace often troubling the batters in the death overs. 12 of Wasim's 20 wickets in HBL PSL have come in the death overs of an innings, showing his utility in the final phase.

'Fitness is central to a fast bowler's...