Ali reincarnated as fearsome ODI batsman

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  • Azhar has come a long way since making his Test debut in 2010 (top r).

    It was back in the summer of 2010 that the then 25-year-old Azhar Ali, a right-handed batsman and occasional leg-break bowler, walked out at Lord’s on debut to face the might of the Australian Test team. He hung around for 45 minutes before being sent back to the pavilion by Ben Hilfenhaus for 16 off 43 deliveries. That year, youngsters like Mohammad Amir were setting new standards of excellence for Pakistan and Azhar Ali’s debut innings was not ignored despite its seemingly innocuous nature. In fact, it was considered another sign of the talent that the country had to offer.

    What followed that summer, with the hue and cry over the spot-fixing scandal, may have knocked the wind out of many a Pakistan supporter’s sail but no one could deny the fighting spirit and dogged determination represented in Azhar’s demeanour – a quality which would fast become the hallmark of his nascent career.

    — Azhar Ali (@AzharAli_) July 26, 2015

    Azhar’s reputation as a reliable foil to Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan was being established with some excellent innings on a frequent basis and the sky appeared to be the limit for a batsman who was considered a dogged player, but of limited means in terms of stroke play. One of the many young Pakistan players who were deprived of playing in front of their home crowds due to the tragic events of March 2009, Azhar Ali’s progress continued unabated with crucial Test performances against some of the world’s top teams in the shape of South Africa and England.

     A regular member of the Pakistan Test squad, Azhar suffered a near career threatening decline in form when he was dropped for the first two Tests against Sri Lanka in the UAE in 2013-14. True to his nature and unfazed by the setback, Azhar roared back into the Test fold with a defiant, match-winning 103 against Sri Lanka in Sharjah in the final Test match of the 2014 series.

     His mental strength was apparent in his remarks to the media, saying: “I’m not one of those people who would sit around and feel sorry for myself as that gets you nowhere. I told myself that whenever the next chance came to play for Pakistan, I would grab it with both hands and ensure I made the most of that opportunity.”

    And boy did he grab the chance. Not letting go ever since, Azhar has established himself as one of the most key and reliable players in the Pakistan Test team.  His average of 44.06 in 44 Test matches speaks volumes about his importance to the side, leading many to label him as Misbah-ul-Haq’s successor and the clear favourite to take over the Test captaincy once Misbah relinquishes the role.

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    Considered, unsurprisingly, by many as a natural fit for the longer format and equally unsuitable for a place in the shorter game, Azhar’s story took an unexpected turn in April 2015 when retiring one-day international captain Misbah-ul-Haq decided to recommend him as the next ODI captain. As the familiar chest-beating of some fans and experts sounded in the background, a calm and collected Azhar strode in to lead the team against Bangladesh and, while Pakistan suffered a historic whitewash at the hands of the hosts, Azhar walked away with scores of 72, 36 and 101 to his name in the three ODIs. If his detractors wanted to put this down to beginner’s luck, the 30-year-old continued on his merry way and led his team to consecutive series wins against Zimbabwe and the much fancied Sri Lanka, in their own backyard.

    This was an ODI captain who many thought wasn’t even a limited overs player in the first place but it offered Azhar that chance to prove himself all over again, something he seems to enjoy doing. Providing further evidence of his talent saw him break the record for the fastest Pakistani batsman to 1,000 ODI runs during the recently concluded series against Sri Lanka. In the process, he has accumulated an impressive average of 50.22 and taken the responsibility of opening the innings on numerous occasions. This authoritative approach and run scoring has proven his doubters, many of whom were great players in their own right, wrong.

    A humble and softly-spoken man, Azhar may well be new in the job and is still finding his feet in terms of tactics, but the manner in which he has backed his own abilities to become the mainstay of the ODI batting line-up deserves praise. Anyone doubting his intent to succeed should have paid attention to his remarks to the media before being overlooked for the 2015 World Cup.

    “I average over forty in one day international cricket and I feel I have the qualities to succeed in this format. I definitely think the Pakistan one day combination needs some batsmen who can provide some stability and not necessarily go with a batting line up that is all out attack”.

    As it stands, Pakistan are languishing at the bottom end of the ICC ODI rankings and their chances of a berth in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy hang by a thread, but if Azhar Ali’s reincarnation as an ODI batsman or recent performances and self-belief are anything to go by, Pakistan’s 50-over fortunes may well be on the rise.

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