Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali (Punjabi:اظہر علی; born 19 February 1985) is a Pakistani former international cricketer. He is former captain of ODI and test side of Pakistan national team. He is a member of the Men's National Selection Committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Ali made his Test debut for Pakistan against Australia in the first Test at Lord's in July 2010. An agile right-hand batter and a part-time leg-break bowler, Ali became the first ever centurion, double Centurion as well as triple centurion in a Day and Night Test Match, when he scored 302 against West Indies in October 2016. He held the record for the highest ever individual score in an innings of a day/night Test match which was later surpassed by David Warner in November 2019 who scored unbeaten 335. Ali was a major contributor to helping his country win the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, where in the final, he scored 59 runs.

Domestically, he has played for Khan Research Laboratories, Lahore, Lahore Eagles, Lahore Lions, Lahore Qalandars, Pakistan A and Huntly (Scotland) during his career. He was the captain of Lahore Qalandars in the first edition of the Pakistan Super League.

In August 2018, he was one of thirty-three players to be awarded a central contract for the 2018–19 season by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). On 1 November 2018, he announced his retirement from One Day International cricket. On 16 December 2022, he announced that he would retire from Test cricket following the completion of the home Test series against England.

Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali has been appointed as the PCB’s Head of Youth Development. In this role, he will focus on nurturing young talent, building grassroots structures, and mentoring players under the PCB Pathways Programme. Azhar’s vast cricketing experience, including 97 Tests and 53 ODIs, will play a key role in shaping the future of Pakistan cricket. Provided by Wikipedia