By Zainab Shafiq 
21-year-old Mohammad Huraira, with a remarkable first-class career spanning just two seasons, has earned a maiden call-up to the Pakistan squad for the upcoming Test tour of Sri Lanka. His impressive statistics speak for themselves: 2,252 runs at an average of over 68, including eight centuries and eight half-centuries in 38 innings, with a striking strike-rate of 70.
Expressing his excitement, Huraira shared his eagerness to learn from Pakistan’s skipper, Babar Azam. During a media interaction in Karachi, he said, “I got to learn from Babar bhai, and I had a detailed discussion with him as well. I feel blessed to learn from him, and I hope that from this tour and afterwards, I’ll get to learn a lot from him.”
Hailing from a prestigious lineage of Sialkot batters who have left an indelible mark, Huraira also finds inspiration in his uncle, former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik. He expressed, “My uncle has been a motivation for me. Seeing him play at the highest level for such a long period gave me that boost that I can also follow his example. I have healthy discussions with him about cricket and life in general. He has helped me in my career.”
Despite successfully juggling between an associate degree program in accounting and finance at the University of Sialkot and top-flight cricket, Huraira views his Test selection as an opportunity to materialize his dreams. He explains, “It is everyone’s dream to represent Pakistan at the highest level, so I am very excited. I spoke to my family, and they were all very happy. It is all because of the prayers of my parents. This is just the beginning. I want to play for Pakistan for a long time.”
Balancing his academic pursuits with his passion for cricket, Huraira appreciates the support he receives from the university, which provides him relaxation for cricket. With 10 List A matches and six T20 games under his belt in addition to his impressive first-class record, Huraira is poised to make the most of this Test selection, aiming to carve out a long and successful career representing his country.
Also, see:
T20 Blast 2023: Stats of Pakistani players