"I feel blessed to have him"
Muhammad Huraira, the nephew of Shoaib Malik, has become one of the youngest Pakistanis to score a triple century in professional cricket.
Huraira, aged 19, became the second-youngest batter to achieve the feat after then 17-year-old, Javed Miandad, and the 18th Pakistani player ever.
The young cricketer’s innings of 311 off 343 balls was the 23rd triple-century to occur within the country.
Huraira also became the 22nd player overall to score a 300 in Pakistan, with others including Mike Brearly, Mark Taylor and Virender Sehwag.
The achievement took place during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 final-round clash against Baluchistan on December 20, 2021.
Huraira had shot to fame at 17-years-old when he became the top scorer in the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Under-19 one-day tournament.
He emerged as the top scorer and amassed 342 runs and a further 358 runs in the three-day event.
He was declared Man-of-the-Match in that game for his 64 and two catches and was subsequently picked for the Under-19 World Cup in 2020.
Speaking about his latest accomplishment, he said:
“First of all, I would like to thank almighty Allah.
“Then to my parents, my teachers, my friends, all my family members who are praying for me, I think it’s just because of them.
“The Under-19 World Cup helped me a lot and boosted my confidence and the international exposure gives you a lot of confidence in yourself.”
Huraira, from Sialkot, is the son of Shoaib Malik’s half-brother and when asked about him, he said:
“He’s our star player from Pakistan, as well as a world icon player so it influences you when he comes into the club and you practice along with him.
“He tells you a lot and he was telling me a lot about game awareness as well so I feel blessed to have him.”
Malik congratulated his nephew on Twitter and said:
“Keep working hard and keep going strong, all the best.”
– I am very proud of you @therealhurraira on becoming the second Pakistani young cricketer to score triple century, you have a long way to go.
Keep working hard and and keep going strong, all the best ??#Cricket #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/26qzUBnBN3— Shoaib Malik ?? (@realshoaibmalik) December 20, 2021
This is the second triple-hundred this season following a 303 not out from Sindh’s Ahsan Ali in November 2021.
In 2016, Karachi Whites opener Hamza Ghanchi became the third-youngest player to score a triple-century in Pakistan.
Huraira is in his maiden first-class season for Northern but is already the second-leading run-getter with 878 in 16 innings at an average of 58.53.
Muhammad Hurraira team are now set to take on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the final of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy beginning from Saturday, December 25, 2021.