Azhar Ali facts for kids
Azhar Ali in 2017
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| Born | 19 February 1985 Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
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| Nickname | Ajju | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right arm leg break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Top-order batter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 199) | 13 July 2010 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 17 December 2022 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 185) | 30 May 2011 v Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 13 January 2018 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 79 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2010 | Khan Research Laboratories | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Lahore Eagles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Lahore Lions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Lahore Qalandars | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Baluchistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2021 | Somerset | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2023 | Central Punjab | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Worcestershire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023/24 | Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 1 October 2023
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Azhar Ali is a famous Pakistani cricketer who used to play for the Pakistan national team. He was even the captain for both the One Day International (ODI) and Test cricket teams! Azhar is known as a top-order batsman, meaning he usually bats early in the game.
He made his first big international appearance in Test cricket in July 2010 against Australia. Azhar is a right-handed batsman and can also bowl a bit of leg break (a type of bowling). He made history in October 2016 by scoring 302 runs in a Day and Night Test Match against West Indies. This was the first time anyone had scored a triple century in such a match!
Azhar also played a big part in Pakistan winning the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. In the final match, he scored 59 runs, helping his team to a great victory. He retired from One Day International cricket in November 2018 and from Test cricket in December 2022. Today, he helps find and train new young cricket players as the Head of Youth Development for the Pakistan Cricket Board.
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Azhar Ali's Life and Family
Azhar Ali's family also loves sports! His father, Muhammad Rafiq, is an athlete who has run many marathons. In 2021, at 76 years old, his father even won a gold medal in a 21 KM marathon race!
In December 2020, Azhar opened his own cricket academy in Lahore. It's a place where young cricketers can learn and improve their skills. His son, Ibtisam Azhar, is also following in his footsteps and plays cricket as an all-rounder.
Azhar Ali's Cricket Journey
Starting Out in Cricket
Azhar Ali started playing cricket when he was just 13 years old. Back then, he mostly focused on bowling as a leg spinner. He played his first big match (called a first-class match) in 2002 when he was 16.
In 2004, when he was 19, Azhar moved to Scotland and played for a team called Huntly Cricket Club. This is where he really improved his batting skills and started opening the batting for his team. He played in Scotland until 2007.
Playing for Different Teams
After returning to Pakistan, Azhar played regularly for Khan Research Laboratories. He scored a lot of runs, which helped him get picked for the Pakistan A cricket team.
In 2016, Azhar became the captain of the Lahore Qalandars team in the first ever Pakistan Super League. He played 7 matches and scored 180 runs in that tournament.
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In 2018, Azhar also played for Somerset, a county cricket club in England. He even scored a century in his very first match for them! Later, in 2022, he played for Worcestershire, another English county team.
In December 2023, Azhar Ali achieved a big milestone. He scored his 50th century in first-class cricket! This shows how consistent and talented he has been throughout his career.
Playing for Pakistan
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In 2010, Azhar was chosen to play for the Pakistan Test team. This was a big moment for him!
First Matches Against Australia and England
Azhar made his Test debut against Australia in July 2010. He scored 17 runs in his first innings. In his second match against Australia, he scored his first half-century, helping Pakistan win a Test match against Australia after 15 years! He then played well against England, scoring an unbeaten 92 runs in one match.
Strong Performances in 2010-2012
Azhar continued to play well, scoring half-centuries against South Africa in November 2010. He also performed consistently against New Zealand in 2011. In 2012, during a tour of Sri Lanka, Azhar scored two centuries in a row! His great batting helped him become one of the top 10 Test batsmen in the world for the first time.
Winning the ICC Champions Trophy
In June 2017, Azhar Ali was a key player in Pakistan's win at the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. He and Fakhar Zaman had a great partnership, scoring 118 runs together against England. They then scored another 128 runs in the final against India, which Pakistan won by a huge margin of 180 runs!
Playing Against South Africa in 2021
In January 2021, Azhar was part of Pakistan's team for a Test series against South Africa at home. He scored a half-century in the first match.
Leading the Team
After Pakistan's previous ODI captain retired, Azhar Ali was chosen to lead the team. This was a big responsibility, especially since he hadn't played ODI cricket for almost two years before becoming captain.
Captaining Against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe
In April 2015, Azhar led Pakistan in an ODI series against Bangladesh. Although Pakistan lost the series, Azhar scored his first ODI century in one of the matches. Later that year, when Zimbabwe toured Pakistan, Azhar led his team to a 2-0 series win. He scored his second ODI century in front of his home crowd.
Success in Sri Lanka
Azhar led Pakistan to a series victory in Sri Lanka, which was a big achievement as Pakistan hadn't won an ODI series there in nine years! Azhar was the top run-scorer in that series and became the fastest Pakistani batsman to reach 1000 ODI runs, doing it in just 21 matches.
Challenges in England
In August 2016, Pakistan toured England. Azhar scored 139 runs in one Test match. However, the ODI series was tough, and Pakistan lost 4-1. Despite the team's struggles, Azhar was the second-highest run-scorer for Pakistan in that series. Even though there were rumors he might step down, he decided to continue as captain.
Leading Against West Indies and Australia
Azhar led Pakistan to a 3-0 win in the ODI series against West Indies in 2016. He scored his third ODI century in the third match, becoming the first Pakistani captain to score three centuries while leading the team. He also scored a triple century in the Test series against West Indies.
Later, during the tour of Australia in 2016, Azhar scored a double century in a Test match in Melbourne. This was the highest Test score by a Pakistani player in Australia! After this series, in February 2017, Azhar decided to step down as the ODI captain.
Becoming Test Captain Again
In October 2019, Azhar Ali was named the captain of Pakistan's Test team again. He led the team during their tour to Australia. In June 2020, he was also named the Test captain for Pakistan's tour to England during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the final Test of that series, he reached another milestone, scoring his 6,000th run in Test cricket.
Azhar Ali's Centuries
Azhar Ali has scored many centuries (100 runs or more) in his career. He has 19 centuries in Test matches and 3 centuries in One Day International (ODI) matches. His highest score in a Test match was an amazing 302 runs, which he scored against West Indies in October 2016. In ODI matches, his highest score was 102 runs against Zimbabwe in May 2015.
