Azhar Ali

Pakistan batsman, Azhar Ali, was playing against Australia on third day of the second Test with his confidence sky high, but little did he know this over ‘self-belief’ will cost him his wicket and that too in the silliest manner! On third day of the Test, Azhar Ali, on 64, edged past gully on the third ball of the 53rd over bowled by Peter Siddle. His partner Asad Shafiq ran towards him as the ball was travelling to the fence. To everyone’s surprise, the ball stopped about a feet away from the boundary line. Fast…

Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali has joined Somerset for the remainder of their first-class English County Championship fixtures this season, the southwest club said Monday. The 33-year-old replaces Australia opener Matt Renshaw, who made three hundreds at 51.30 in the opening rounds of the Championship before breaking a finger against Surrey at Guildford last month. Azhar is set to make his Somerset debut against Worcestershire later this month. “The standard of first-class cricket in England is very high and I hope that I can…

LONDON: Pakistan again showed England how to play in their own conditions as they maintained their position dominant in the first Test at Lord's. The tourists scored 300 runs in Friday's play, going from an overnight 50 for one to 350 for eight at stumps on the second day of this two-match series. That left them already 166 runs ahead of England's meagre first-innings 184, with Pakistan having so far outplayed their hosts in all departments. A quartet of batsmen made fifties, with England dropping four catches…

WELLINGTON: Having walloped the West Indies without raising a sweat, New Zealand are expecting a more rigorous workout when the one-day series against Pakistan begins in Wellington on Saturday. Pakistan are on a nine-match winning streak, which includes winning the ICC Champions Trophy and in their one warm-up game they scored an impressive 341-9 against a New Zealand XI with unbeaten centuries to openers Fakhar Zaman and Azhar Ali. They then rolled the New Zealand side for 221 with Shadab Khan taking four wickets.…

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has recalled opener Azhar Ali for their one-day international series in New Zealand next month, but left batsman Ahmed Shehzad and allrounder Imad Wasim out of the squad. Former captain Ali's return meant there was no place in the 15-member squad for Shehzad, who failed to impress against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates last month. Pakistan won all five ODIs against Sri Lanka, but go into the five-match New Zealand series having lost eight of their last 11 ODI series. "We kept the…

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced the 15-member Pakistan team for the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka in the UAE- the adopted home ground of Pakistan cricket team. Former ODI captain Azhar Ali, who played an important role in Pakistan's Champions Trophy campaign has been left from the squad . Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq announcing the team said, "The Champions Trophy team has been retained except Azhar Ali, who has been rested for the ODI series to gain full fitness." The young…

ABU DHABI: Consistent Pakistan middle-order batsman Azhar Ali completed 5,000 runs in the longer format during the third day's play in the first Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday. The 32-year-old became the eighth Pakistan batsman to reach the milestone in his 61st Test, when he took a single to reach a personal score of 32. Ali made his Test debut against Australia at Lord's in Pakistan's neutral venue series in England in 2010 and has since been a consistent performer with the bat. Read More: Pakistan lose third…

ABU DHABI: Pakistan lost their third wicket after tea break on third day of the first Test on Saturday when Asad Shafiq (39) caught by Thirmanne off Herath at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Earlier, experienced batsmen Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq steadied Pakistan's innings after Sri Lanka took two quick wickets. Ali, who completed 5,000 Test runs when on 32, was unbeaten on 37 as Pakistan still trail the Sri Lankan first innings total of 419 by 225 runs. Openers Shan Masood and Sami Aslam set the platform for a…

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali has insisted his side will treat their Champions Trophy opener against title-holders India in Birmingham on Sunday as "just another game". Politics in both countries means the Asian giants, arguably cricket's fiercest rivals, now rarely meet outside of International Cricket Council events. Such is the global and commercial appeal of the fixture, the ICC has effectively admitted to 'doctoring' the draw to make sure the teams are paired together in the group phase of major…

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan’s young squad looked vibrant in the practice session at Edgbaston on Wednesday as they are up for their first and the biggest challenge in the Champions Trophy four days later. With arch-rivals India on the menu, Pakistan practiced hard with front line pacer Wahab Riaz in great focus. Wahab, known for his five-for in the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup at Mohali, hasn’t fired in the recent matches. But with the focus on playing four seamers, the left-armer is important in Pakistan’s plans to…