When Shehzar Mohammad smashed 265 in a domestic game in Pakistan, he followed in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, uncle and two grand-uncles in scoring a first-class double-century.
Shehzar is the grandson of the legendary Pakistan cricketer Hanif Mohammad, who averaged 43.98 in 55 Tests for his nation and had a first-class high score of 499.
Shehzar’s father, Shoaib Mohammad, played 45 Tests and 63 ODIs, with a best first-class score of 208*.
Hanif’s brothers Sadiq and Mushtaq also had double-hundreds in their careers, as did Sadiq’s son Imran.
With lineage like that, the pressure would have been on Shehzar, a right-hand batsman, off-break bowler and occasional wicket-keeper. The 26-year-old proved himself up to the challenge, making 265 for Karachi Whites against Multan at the Multan Cricket Stadium in a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match on Friday, 12 October.
In this his 36th first-class match, he faced 464 balls, striking 30 boundaries and a six.
“This is a great moment for everyone in Mohammad family. This shows that cricket runs in our blood,” a delighted Shoaib told Geo TV. “If Hanif sahab were alive today, he would have been very proud.”