After an injury to Sohail Tanvir on the eve of the 2011 World Cup, Khan was called up as his replacement, with no experience in international cricket.

[citation needed] In August 2018, he was one of 33 players to be awarded a central contract for the 2018–19 season by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

In the unofficial Test series between Pakistan A and Sri Lanka A in 2010, Khan was his team's leading wicket-taker with ten from two matches.

[11] Following the recurrence of a knee injury to Sohail Tanvir, the uncapped Khan was added in Pakistan's squad for the 2011 World Cup.

[13] Two days later, Khan, Mohammad Salman, and Hammad Azam made their ODI debuts against West Indies.

[14] Pakistan won the series 3–2 and Khan finished with three wickets from five matches, making him the team's fourth highest wicket-taker.

Khan was Man of the Match in the first fixture, taking four wickets for twelve runs to help Pakistan to a seven-wicket victory.

[21] Later that month Khan made his County Championship debut against Durham, stepping in for the injured Farveez Maharoof, Lancashire's other overseas player.

[24] In August, Khan was awarded a category C central contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board; six players were in category A, eight in B, and nine (including Khan) in C.[25] When Pakistan toured Zimbabwe in September for a Test three ODIs and two T20Is, the national selectors took the opportunity to give inexperienced players an opportunity.

Frontline bowlers Wahab Riaz and Umar Gul were rested and Khan was chosen as part of the squad.

The coach, Waqar Younis, commented that though Khan had a successful spell with Lancashire he still had a lot to learn as a Test bowler.

[29] Khan's sole wicket in the match, which Pakistan won, was that of batsman Craig Ervine caught and bowled.

This decision was criticised to be unjustified due to the selection of fast bowler Mohammad Sami and his recent performance against Sri Lanka.

I got offers from the BPL and the SLPL, but I rejected them just for the sake of test cricket[sic].Khan modelled his bowling action on that of fellow left-arm fast-bowler Wasim Akram.

[50] Khan stated that during his time with Lancashire County Cricket Club he learned how to bowl a yorker and how to use swing and seam.

On 23 April 2014, Lancashire confirmed that Khan would be returning to play in both the NatWest T20 blast and the Royal London One Day Cup.