Usman Shuja: Wicket Taker

Usman Shuja is an executive and entrepreneur — and one of U.S. cricket’s all-time greats. In October 2014 Shuja ’10 MBA became the all-time leading wicket taker in 50-over international matches. Shuja, who has represented the United States in International Cricket Council competition for nearly a decade, plans to play in one more ICC World Cup qualifier in July before retiring. As his cricket career nears a close, Shuja hopes to apply the skills he learned at the Kellogg School of Management to develop the sport in the United States. At Kellogg he worked on sports management projects that taught him how to run a team. “In terms of talent, the United States is in a very good position,” says Shuja, who grew up playing cricket in Karachi, Pakistan. Off the field, Shuja was the third employee at the security analytics firm SparkCognition, an Austin, Texas, startup where he is vice president of market development. He and his wife, Lizet Lopez Shuja ’10 MBA, have a 1-year-old son.