Shan Masood

A solid and technically sound left-hand opener, Shan Masood made it to the international side after impressing consistently at junior-level cricket. With Pakistan struggling to put together a solid opening combination, Masood was the option they turned to in the Test series against South Africa in the UAE.Masood caught the eye of Pakistan’s talent-spotters quite early, being selected as a 13-year-old for the U-15 Asia Cup in 2002 after impressing Aaqib Javed. In his first-class debut game in 2007, Masood scored 54 for Karachi, putting together 154 for the opening wicket with Asad Shafiq. Thereafter, he also played well in England: in 2009, he was particularly successful for Stamford school in 2009, scoring 1237 runs at an average of 103, a school record. He also played three first-class games for Durham University, facing the likes of Liam Plunkett, Graham Onions and Ajmal Shehzad.Back in Pakistan, Masood had an excellent home season in 2012-13, scoring 543 runs at an average of 54.30. The reward was a call-up to open the batting in the Test series against South Africa. Masood’s role model is Alastair Cook, which says something about the kind of batsman he wants to become.ESPNcricinfo staffShan Masood, a prolific Pakistani batter known for his consistency and technique, contributes significantly to Pakistan’s Test team performance and franchise cricket.