One of the most golden days for fast bowlers was the day of Sunday, March 6, when the most admired coaches across the world came together as a team for Pace Clinic. This coaching team was comprised of international cricket star, Tymal Mills, Rob Ahmun, currently, the Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach of the England National Cricket Team, the Punjab Kings power hitting and batting consultant, Julian Wood and Shahbaz Choudhry, a specialist fast bowling coach and founder of Pace Journal.
This clinic, unlike others, delivered proven and industry leading knowledge and experience to an exclusive group of attendees. Its eminence echoed at a wider level resulting in tickets selling out within a week.
This sets another milestone in the journey of Shahbaz Choudhry who is reaping a commendable reputation in the world of cricket and fast bowling. His quest for perfection and thirst for improvement has been inbred in him. He says, “ever since I picked up a cricket ball, I have been obsessed with fast bowling. I’ve always wanted to make speed my identity”.
In 2018, Shahbaz launched Pace Journal, an initiative which aimed to deliver the world’s most credible insights and knowledge about fast bowling directly from professional cricketers and coaches. Since its launch, the brand has accumulated over 100,000 loyal fans around the world and produced content with dignitary names such as Jofra Archer, Lockie Ferguson, Tymal Mills and Kyle Jamieson to name just a few.
Shahbaz grew up playing age group cricket for Middlesex CCC before signing a contract with Northamptonshire CCC in 2009. His rise was quickly met with resistance as his over ambitious nature and obsession to perfect his bowling technique derailed his progress – resulting in him losing his ability to bowl which subsequently led to him losing his first and only professional contract.
“After interacting with thousands of ambitious fast bowlers, I have come to realise that hunger and curiosity is a blessing and a curse. It will drive you to continue seeking improvement, but it can hinder your progress when you don’t know when to stop. My aim with Pace Journal was to help aspiring bowlers with clarity and understanding when it comes to fast bowling, speed and development”, says Shahbaz on the reason behind starting the company.
Pace Journal has quickly grown into one of the most sought after platforms in the world. In 2020, the company announced the signing of international cricket star, Tymal Mills as a partner and ambassador. Speaking on his involvement, Mills mentioned that he had been following the channel for a while and kept a close eye on the quality of work that Pace Journal had been producing.
Shahbaz’s success was not served to him in the most delightful manner. Instead, he had to go through the most uneasy and uncomfortable situations. But having the attitude of a winner, Shahbaz has always turned his obstacles into opportunities. The lower the times he faced, the more he observed and learnt. He molded his challenges into lessons for others and this came out in the form of Pace Journal.
