Pakistan's Shan Masood attains the highest ever average in List A cricket

Pakistani Test opener Shan Masood has not had the best of times with bat in the longest format playing for Pakistan, as the batsman has struggled to seal his spot at the top. However, Masood possesses some magnificent and remarkable numbers in List A cricket. Presently, he holds the record of averaging a massive 58.94 in the First-class circuit, which is also the highest average for any batsman in the world in List A cricket.

Masood made his Test debut for Pakistan in 2013 and has since played 12 Tests for his country. He has scored 565 runs in the 12 Tests at an average of less than 25. The left-hander has totalled 3 fifties and a hundred with the bat in his international career so far. However, the opener has failed to perform on a consistent basis, since scoring a gutsy 75 on debut, which is why the 28-year old is not a regular feature in the Pakistani Test team. He was also not recently named Pakistan squad for the England and Ireland series.

Masood goes past the likes of Michael Bevan, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers

Presently, Masood averages 58.94 in 74 List A matches in which he has amassed 3360 runs, which includes 20 half-centuries and 10 hundreds. He went past the record set by former Australian batsman Michael Bevan, who averaged a splendid 57.86 in 427 List A games. The current Indian captain Virat Kohli holds the third spot in the tally, with an average of 56.56 from 242 matches. Importantly, Masood boosts this outstanding average tally while playing comparatively less number of matches than the rest of the batsman accompanying him in the top tally.

Former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers is placed sixth on the tally with a healthy average of 53.47 in 263 first-class games, in which he has scored 11,123 runs. Another young Pakistani batsman Khurram Manzoor holds the fifth slot in the list as he averages 53.68 in 134 List A games.

Along with Masood and Manzoor, two other Pakistani batsmen are present in the top 10 names in the highest average list in List A matches. Former Indian Test cricketer MS Dhoni who now plays only the limited overs format is also placed tenth on the table with an average of 51 from 391 games.

Highest averages in List A cricket. (Min 3000 runs)

Shan Masood – 3360 runs (Avg – 58.94)

Michael Bevan – 15103 runs (Avg – 57.86)

Virat Kohli – 11030 runs (Avg – 56.56)

Cheteshwar Pujara – 3955 runs (Avg – 54.17)

Khurram Manzoor – 6388 runs ( Avg – 53.68)

*Stats updated till 30th April, 2018