LAHORE (Abdul Basit): Islamabad region’s prolific opener Shamyl Hussain has climbed to second place in the international first-class batting rankings following a remarkable run in the recently concluded Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025, finishing merely 14 runs behind India’s Karun Nair, the veteran Test cricketer renowned for his monumental scores.
What sets Shamyl apart is the manner in which he accumulated his 1626 runs this year, doing so with the best strike rate among all first-class players worldwide: 75.25. His aggressive yet controlled strokeplay also placed him at the top of the global boundaries chart, smashing 213 fours and 29 sixes in the 2025 season. By comparison, Nair struck at a strike rate of 55, with 189 fours and 13 sixes.
Shamyl’s consistency has been unmatched. He registered 12 fifty-plus scores, including seven half-centuries and five centuries, one of them a double ton. His performances continue to keep him among the top performers globally, in a ranking system that fluctuates with every first-class match played around the world.
The left-hander’s rise is rooted in his stellar domestic form over the past two seasons. In the previous year’s President’s Cup, which his department PTV won, Shamyl amassed 727 runs at a strike rate of 73, laying the foundation for an even stronger 2025. Representing Islamabad this season, he surpassed his own benchmarks, scoring 899 runs at an impressive average of 64.21 and a strike rate of 76.83, both the highest among the top ten batters of the tournament.
This year’s QeA Trophy saw extraordinary hitting displays, and Shamyl again led the charts with 120 fours and 19 sixes, the most by any Pakistani opener in the competition. His domestic dominance comes alongside strong performances internationally, having top-scored on Pakistan A’s tour of England earlier this year and finishing as the leading run-scorer on Shaheens’ tour of Australia in 2023.
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