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DUBAI: Baseball United, the first professional league focused on the Middle East and South Asia, has announced the signing of four Pakistani players to the Karachi Monarchs, the nation’s first franchise.

Among the players are three homegrown talents, all developed by the Pakistan Federation Baseball, and scouted through Baseball United’s development program in the country.

Pakistan, a major cricket-playing nation, is the highest-ranked nation in south and west Asia. They are ranked No. 32 by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, ahead of Argentina, Belgium, Greece, and Ukraine.

Pakistan has also been the region’s most successful nation in international tournaments, with several West Asia Cup championships, Asian Championship appearances, and World Baseball Classic Qualifier entries. Pakistan also won Baseball United’s Arab Classic tournament last year.

“Today is an important milestone in the history of Pakistani sports,” said Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Baseball United.

“Pakistan has always been known for its love of cricket, but baseball has been quietly growing across the country over the last 40 years. Thanks to the leadership of Syed Fakhar Ali Shah and Pakistan Federation Baseball, they have been developing talented pitchers, batters, and fielders through academies across the country.

“Now, the best of the best of these players will take the field with top professional players from the US, Japan, and other elite baseball countries. With Pakistani sports fans hungry for their nation to succeed on the international stage, these four players will help lead the charge for the Karachi Monarchs.”

The Pakistan Federation Baseball is the country’s governing body, founded in 1992 by Shah to promote the sport. The PFB is affiliated with both the WBSC and the Baseball Federation of Asia.

The federation focuses on developing baseball through player development programs, national team training, and partnerships with organizations. It has been led by Shah’s son, Syed Fakhar Ali Shah, for several years.

The four Pakistani players joining the Karachi Monarchs include Muhammad Zohaib, 33, a veteran pitcher from Attock, who has consistently performed at a high level for the national team.

He made his international debut at the 2016 World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Brooklyn, US, where he pitched against Great Britain. Since then, he has competed in several championships.

Zohaib has played in the 2017 West Asia Cup in Islamabad, 2022 World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Panama, 2023 Asian Championship in Chinese Taipei, 2024 Baseball United Arab Classic in Dubai, and 2025 West Asia Cup in Iran.

He also represented Pakistan at the 31st Asian Men’s Championship in Pingtan, China. Zohaib has a strong command of the strike zone and the ability to mix pitches effectively.

Musharaf Khan, 20, a top young pitcher, is from the Khawar Shah Baseball Academy in Peshawar. He has represented Pakistan at multiple international tournaments. He played last year for the Saga Asia Dreams, an independent professional team in Japan’s Kyushu Asia League.

Muhammad Hussain, 27, a third baseman from Chiniot in Punjab, has represented Pakistan at the 2018 Asian Games, 2023 World Baseball Classic qualifiers, 2023 West Asia Baseball Cup, and 2023 Asian Baseball Championship.

Hussain was named the MVP of the Baseball United Arab Classic last November. He is currently representing Pakistan at the Asian Championship in China which began this week. His consistency at the plate and agility in the field makes him a key addition.

Pierce Khan, 28, a second baseman from Richmond in Houston, Texas, is a Pakistani-American player. Born and raised in Texas, Khan played Division I baseball at the University of Louisiana-Monroe, and most recently competed in the Pecos League.

He has excelled as a contact hitter with speed on the bases and range in the field. His addition to the Monarchs represents the global reach of Pakistani talent, and he will bring valuable international experience to the roster.

The Karachi Monarchs will kick off Baseball United’s first full season with a historic matchup against the Mumbai Cobras on Nov. 14, 15, and 16 at Baseball United Ballpark in Dubai. The Monarchs will also face franchises from Dubai and Abu Dhabi during their inaugural season.

“Pakistan has produced some of the most passionate and loyal sports fans in the world,” said Eddie Diaz, executive vice president of operations at Baseball United.

“They have a lot of athletes with good tools, who know how to hit and run and throw. The signing of these four players, especially our three homegrown stars, is going to inspire the next generation of Pakistani athletes to dream big about baseball.”

Baseball United has also recently signed players from India and the Philippines, reflecting the league’s mission to elevate talent from across South Asia and the Middle East.

LONDON: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended USA Cricket’s membership with immediate effect over repeated breaches of its obligations under the ICC Constitution, the sport’s global governing body said on Tuesday.

The ICC Board cited failures to implement a functional governance structure, lack of progress toward recognition by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and actions that caused reputational damage to the sport in the US and globally.

Despite the suspension, the ICC said US national teams would keep their right to compete in ICC events and continue preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Management and administration of the teams will be overseen temporarily by the ICC or its representatives to maintain support for players and high-performance programs.

An ICC Normalization Committee, working with ICC management, will set out the steps required for the suspension to be lifted and will monitor progress, including “demonstrable and specific” changes to governance, operations and the body’s standing within the cricket ecosystem.

USA Cricket did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

USA Cricket had been placed “on notice” at the 2024 ICC Annual General Meeting and given 12 months to remedy non-compliance.

While a 2025 AGM review contemplated suspension, the ICC said the membership opted to keep the body on notice in July after representations and commitments from USA Cricket.

In a written notice of that decision, the ICC warned USA Cricket not to jeopardize Olympic inclusion and not to act in a way that brings the sport or the ICC into disrepute.

Cricket will return to the Olympic stage in LA after more than a century, having appeared once at the 1900 Olympics, with a six-team Twenty20 format — the shortest international format of the game — for both women and men.