Profile of Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali

Profile of Azhar Ali

A right handed batsman and a part time leg spinner, Azhar Ali started his domestic cricket as an opener and was drafted into the Pakistan national side as a number 3 batsman. His solid technique and ever-lasting patience was exactly what Pakistan was searching for and his calmness at the crease perfectly suited the crucial number 3 slot. Having started as an opener in the domestic circuit, Ali grew gradually and proved to be a consistent performer in first class cricket since 2006. With a 40+ average which included 11 hundreds, a national call up was only a matter of time and it came in 2010 when Pakistan wanted to look beyond the experienced duo of Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf. 

Azhar Ali became one of the few Pakistani players to make his Test debut before playing an ODI when he got his chance against Australia at Lord’s in July 2010. He played a crucial knock in his very second game where he made a match winning 51 at Leeds as Pakistan successfully chased down a tricky target of 180, with just 3 wickets in hand. With the knock, Azhar retained his place in the squad for the Tests against England the following month. He failed in the first 2 Tests, and despite the return of Mohammad Yousuf, retained his spot for the remaining part of the series. He justified the selection with an unbeaten 92 in the first innings of the third Test at The Oval, which Pakistan went on to win. His steady performances with the bat made him a regular in the Pakistan side, which was searching for some calmness and stability under new captain Misbah Ul Haq. 

Azhar Ali tended to struggle slightly against quality swing and short pitch bowling on the pitches at England and New Zealand, but when it came to the batsmen-friendly conditions at UAE, he was a completely different batsman. His tight defensive technique and robustness at the crease perfectly suited the conditions in Pakistan’s new home, and it showed in his performances there. He brought up his maiden Test ton against Sri Lanka in Dubai, a match which Pakistan went on to win. 

Azhar had a superb year in 2012, where he scored 3 hundreds and a fifty in the 6 games that he played. He also brought up his highest score of 157 against England at Dubai and equalled it against Sri Lanka in Colombo. However, the following year proved to be tricky as he failed on the tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe, he was even dropped for the first two Tests against Sri Lanka in UAE. But, he made a comeback in the third Test and played a masterful innings of 103 to help Pakistan chase down 302 in 57.3 overs on the final day of the match. 

Source;cricbuzz