We meet four more of Washington Freedom’s finest as we run through the squad that – fingers crossed – will achieve Major League glory.
Moises Henriques
‘Mozzie’ is a hugely experienced Australian all-rounder who captains Freedom in our first season.
The son of a professional soccer player, he was born on the island of Madeira, and became the first Portuguese born cricketer to represent Australia.
Unusually for an all-rounder, he professes no preference for batting or bowling, although over time he has bowled his fast-medium less frequently, and batted higher up the order. He is known for his adaptability, and has featured for Australia in all formats of the game, in various roles.
Henriques has captained Sydney Sixers to two Big Bash League titles, and played for five teams in the Indian Premier League. He brings presence and a winning mentality to our roster, and away from the pitch he has been a vocal advocate for mental health awareness.
Mukthar Ahmed
A relentless run scorer, Ahmed is an opening batter who has represented Pakistan six times. With three T20 tons already in his back pocket, Ahmed brings plenty of experience and skill to the red, white and blue of Washington Freedom.
Ahmed is a player of international excellence, with two half-centuries in his first three matches for Pakistan seeing him win player-of-the-series in his first appearance for his country.
A consistent performer in the Pakistan Super League, Ahmed has played for Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings. Experience that will be invaluable to our team in Major League Cricket.
Saad Ali
Ali made his international debut for Pakistan against Australia in 2019, and with over 7000 career runs you can bank on the left-hander adding a few more in Texas.
Ali was the leading run-scorer in three domestic competitions between 2017 and 2019. Thanks to his domestic success, Ali was drafted to Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League.
A champion at the crease, Ali has a high score of 232. He is also already accustomed to US cricket, having played one season for the Chicago Tigers in the 2022 Minor League, scoring 405 runs.
Dealing in boundaries, Ali hit 34 fours and 17 sixes in last year’s Minor League. Expect two weeks of clean striking and big sixes from our middle-order maestro.
Saurabh Netravalkar
From India under 19’s to the USA national team, Netravalkar is an ICC Top 20 Ranked ODI Bowler. His 27 ODI wickets last year helped to propel the fast bowler to international acclaim.
A highly motivated and disciplined professional, one of Netravalkar’s cricketing heroes is Australian legend Glenn McGrath.
Rumour has it too, that he’s also the best singer in the squad, but you can check out his Instagram for confirmation on that.