Fantastic Four: Pakistan’s top baseball players look to elevate country on global stage

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