KARACHI Pakistans former first class cricketer Masood Syed, popularly known as Masood Chic, has been inducted into the Cricket Hall of Fame by Hartford (Connecticut) Cricket Hall of Fame. The Cricket Hall of Fame recognises the contributions of the games all time great players and administrators for their contributions to the game. The retired 65 years old physiotherapist Masood Chic was one of the five Americans to be awarded an International Cricket Council medal of honor in the ICCs centenary celebrations just two years back. Masood, who lives in Glendale Heights, a Chicago suburb, has been a part of the game in the United States for almost 40 years. He joined legendary international inductees like Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Clyde Walcott, Sunil Gavaskar, Farough Engineer, Greg Chappell, Bhagwat Chandrasekar, Alvin Kallicharran, Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Conrad Hunte, Sir Vivian Richards, Gundappa Viswanath, Clive Lloyd, Chetan Chauhan, Michael Holding and others. In an interview with a USA cricket magazine Masood said: I feel very proud to have my name among all of them. Thats unbelievable. I cant even dream that I am up there with all those greats. Masood played for PIA and PWD in Karachi many years back and has played good role in the growth of cricket in the US. He became involved with cricket in Chicago in 1972 soon after moving to the United States. Now there are about 170 clubs and he has helped the Central East Region achieve the highest paid membership in the United States of America Cricket Association. Masood has been a USACA board member representing the Central East Region since 1984. Over the years, he and his family have helped those in need in Karachi and he was also involved in charity work in Bosnia after the civil war in the old Yugoslavia. In 1967 he got the chance of a lifetime when he was named to play with the Pakistan Central Zone in a match in Sialkot against a Commonwealth X1 led by Australian all-rounder and captain Richie Benaud. In an unforgettable moment, he ran out Benaud at the bowlers end with a throw from covers. Masoods best score in first class cricket was 116 for Karachi against Bhawalpur in the Qaid-e-Azam Trophy competition. In 33 first class matches in Pakistan he scored 1,408 runs, including seven not outs, in 49 innings for an average of 33.52. He also scored three centuries and five 50s. He was elected vice president of USACA in 1987 and then president from 1996 to 1999 during a chaotic time when the US Cricket Federation was formed. Under instructions from the ICC, the USACA was told to design a new constitution and hold elections. As a USACA board member, he has formed a close relationship with USACA President Gladstone Dainty and the two work as team for the improvement of cricket in the US. He was chairman of the US national selection body from 2000 to 2004. Syed helped select the team which won the Americas Cup in Argentina in 2002 and then success followed in the 2003 Six Nation tournament in Dubai and the US became the first ICC associates member to play in the 2004 Champions Trophy. It was historic occasion, but in the Champions Trophy, the US played in two games against Australia and New Zealand and lost both of them. Masood was hopeful that after the introduction of the twenty20 competitions, the game would grow in the US.