Pakistan batsman Saad Masood: “I middled a couple of balls and then smashed Ali Raza for three sixes”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Up-and-coming Pakistan big-hitting batsman Saad Masood recalled how he smashed 16-year-old pace prospect Ali Raza for three sixes in his List A debut in October 2024.
Masood was playing for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited against Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in the President’s Cup Grade-I (1-Day) tournament and ended up scoring 44 not out off 27 balls, which included three boundaries and three sixes.
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited ended up winning the match by 74 runs, but the highlight for the 20-year-old was the trio of sixes he hit against Raza, who is fast becoming a household name.
“I middled a couple of balls and then smashed Ali Raza for three sixes,” Masood was quoted as saying by PakPassion on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Masood was not picked for Pakistan’s ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa.
He also failed to make the cut for the 2025 Champions Trophy, where the men in green were eliminated in the group stage after losing to New Zealand and India.
Their final match against Bangladesh was washed out.
Pakistan will now embark on a tour of New Zealand, which will comprise five T20Is and three ODIs from March 16 to April 5.
Pakistan Squad for T20I Series against New Zealand: Hasan Nawaz, Omair Yousuf, Mohammad Haris, Abdul Samad, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Irfan Khan Niazi, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan
Pakistan Squad for ODI Series against New Zealand: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Irfan Khan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir