"My sister’s passing away made me look at things differently" - Shan Masood ahead of his potential T20I debut against England
Following his first T20I call-up, Pakistan opener Shan Masood revealed that his sister's demise impacted him greatly and changed his outlook.
The left-handed batsman stated that the tragedy made him realize that there are more important things in life than cricket. Masood's sister passed away last year in October.
The Test opener had posted a poignant message for his departed sister on Twitter after her demise. Now, he has spoken about how his worldview changed owing to this tragedy.
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Meeshu you were the most precious thing in my life and I did not even get to say goodbye, I will miss you so much but I know God has taken you to a better place. Please pray for my sister’s departed soul 🙏🏽 https://t.co/1AFHad7red
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the first T20I against England on Tuesday, Shan Masood said:
"I have learnt a lot with time and have grown as a person and player. They are more important things in life than cricket. So, I just feel blessed to be doing what I do. My sister’s passing away made me look at things differently. I just feel now it is great to be getting a chance to play for your country or your favorite sport and earning from it but there is more to life than success and failure in cricket."
The elegant opening batsman has been included in the 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia and is in line to make his T20I debut in the upcoming seven-match T20I series against England. The 32-year-old has earned his selection on the back of some telling performances in franchise cricket.
The Kuwait-born player scored 547 runs in 14 matches at 45.58 with a strike rate of 139.89 in the T20 Blast, England's premier T20 tournament, this year. His 478 runs for the Multan Sultans in 12 games in PSL 2022 was also the third-highest in the tournament.
"We're very glad we're playing a side like England" - Shan Masood
Shan Masood also acknowledged England as one of the best white-ball teams in the world and feels facing them is an ideal preparation for the World Cup. The southpaw added:
"I think England is one of the best white-ball sides in the world. Having played County cricket over there this season, having looked at the standard of cricket, we're not surprised at all with what England possess as a team. It's probably the ideal preparation to play one of the best sides in the world before the T20 World Cup. We're very glad we're playing a side like England."
Pakistan announces a strong squad for the @T20WorldCup 2022. Let's back our boys to bring the trophy home 💚
#WorldCup2022 https://t.co/WCxyLBbPIC
It's worth noting that it is England's first tour of Pakistan since 2005. After a demoralizing loss to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final, Pakistan will be keen to begin their World Cup preparations on a positive note. The tourists are also coming off a series loss to South Africa.
On the other hand, England have had to redraw their plans after the sudden retirement of Eoin Morgan during their home summer. Their preparations for the big event in Australia got further affected due to their leading opener Jonny Bairstow being ruled out of the World Cup with an injury.
As a result, this series becomes vital to the preparations of both the teams. For Shan Masood, it is his time to shine on the international stage in the shortest format.