T20 World Cup 2022: Shan Masood credits his successful County stint for call-up in Pakistan's squad

Pakistan batter Shan Masood, who has been recalled to the Pakistan T20 side and included in the T20 World Cup 2022 squad after being on the sidelines since early 2021, credited England’s County Cricket for making a comeback in the national side. “I’d like to think it (playing County in England) was a very big stepping stone in terms of me making into the T20I side (for the T20 World Cup). The Pakistan Super League was a big step up, performing at that level obviously gives you a lot of confidence,” Masood said at a press conference in Karachi on Saturday. “Having played the T20 Blast over there and getting some runs there. I think that was important to just put my name out there. What was brilliant was that I got to play a lot of cricket in the County. I figured myself out as a person, as a batter,” he added. As he gears up to make his T20I debut against England , the lanky left-hander spoke about how he feels blessed to be wearing the Pakistan green and doesn’t want to carry the baggage of pressure. ‘‘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,’’ he said. Known as a specialist test opener, Shan’s comeback to the T20 side as a middle-order batsman has been the result of his brilliant form in all three formats this year including the Pakistan Super League, the National T20 Championship and the Vitality Blast in England, where he scored 547 runs at an average of 45.58 and a strike-rate of nearly 140.