"I am Abid Ali, let me be Abid Ali and please don't compare me with legends"

[Abdullah719]

Abid Ali at a presser after his debut Test ton:

"I don't have any complaints against any one. I got my chance according to the time Allah had set for me. I had self belief and I was waiting for the right time and there can be no better achievement for me than to make a hundred on debut"

"It was a matter of honour for me that I made my debut in Pakistan, I would like to thank the media for supporting me and my performances"

"I knew I needed to wait for the right time where I can prove myself"

"I have played for Islamabad region, Shakeel Sheikh sahab invited me here to play and I've played here for 4 years at Diamond and Pindi grounds. I have an idea about how to utilise myself here and how to build an innings. I would like to thank Shakeel Sheikh also for giving me a chance. I got a chance in Lahore also, it's not that they didn't give me chances. I have tried to perform whenever I get a chance"

"I am thankful to PCB for their efforts to bring Test cricket home after 10 years. I would like to thank the SL team for entertaining the crowds, I also enjoyed the day today. PCB is working hard and there is no security problem in our country, I would like to request other teams to also tour Pakistan and we should have more Test and ODI cricket here"

"Our group of 20-25 players consists of performers so competition is very high, I know I need to give performances. My brothers in the team are also giving performances. I need to keep improving"

"Our best batsman Babar Azam, I learn a lot from him. Then there's Azhar bhai, he gave me a lot of confidence today. Then there's Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, all the senior players in the team. During nets, I learn small things from them. Since Misbah bhai became the coach, the team's atmosphere is very good and we are learning a lot from him"

"The signal I made was for my daughter"

"I am Abid Ali, let me be Abid Ali and please don't compare me with legends. I will keep trying hard that I can perform as well as possible for Pakistan while I play for my country"

"I got so much confidence because of how the crowd appreciated me, what can I say. However much I thank them isn't enough"

"My advice to junior players is to work hard, there is no substitute for hard work. That is what I always did, I never said to anyone why didn't my name come up or what am I not playing. I had self belief and kept working hard"

"Misbah bhai and Azhar bhai told me to stay at the wicket and make my innings as long as possible which was best for the team and for me"

"We have team meetings and we discuss about the opposition bowlers and make plans and we practice for that"

"I never felt like giving up. Allah says in the Qur'an to keep working hard and you will get rewarded for that. My parents used to back me a lot and encourage me to work hard"

"I was comfortable with both Azhar bhai and Babar. Azhar bhai made close to 40. Babar is a world class player and I hope he continues to do well for Pakistan. He also gave me confidence and encouraged me to wait for the bad balls. I was a bit nervous in the 90s but he gave me confidence there too"

"There was a bit of a problem with calling with Azhar bhai so I made a mistake and it almost led to a run out but we got better later on"

[HappyWarsFan]

Great comments.

[SensiblePakFan]

Emphasis on hard work, great to see.

[Babar_Azam_fan]

Bhai Bhai Bhai

That’s why “Bhais” keep playing until all of their hair is white.

Respecting others is always welcome, but please come out of this seniority culture. Which in turn makes these “Bhais” feel like they’re the messiah of the team.

[Saj]

A humble and hard-working cricketer who deserves his chance and the limelight.

Interesting how many are now claiming it was they who discovered Abid. As the saying goes, Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.

[squanchy]

Bhai Bhai Bhai

That’s why “Bhais” keep playing until all of their hair is white.

Respecting others is always welcome, but please come out of this seniority culture. Which in turn makes these “Bhais” feel like they’re the messiah of the team.

The "culture" I find really annoying is nitpicking the smallest things for criticism.

[moghul]

Bhai Bhai Bhai

That’s why “Bhais” keep playing until all of their hair is white.

Respecting others is always welcome, but please come out of this seniority culture. Which in turn makes these “Bhais” feel like they’re the messiah of the team.

Sajda and Bhai Bhai--------------new invention in Pakistan cricket-----but everyone is entitled to have his own way, what can you say, ah.

[moghul]

The best thing about him is being solid and confident from the start, his concentration level is immense. Never misses a bad ball. Wish he had come 5-6 years earlier.

[Finisher]

A humble and hard-working cricketer who deserves his chance and the limelight.

Interesting how many are now claiming it was they who discovered Abid. As the saying goes, Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.

I can remember Basit Ali saying Abid Ali was ready for the Pakistan team around 5 years ago

[The Viper]

[Uzzy_Khan]

Lucky he didnt get to play in Aus or else they would have shown he is just like all the others! Will do fine on these pitches and a terrible failure when theres a hint of swing.. nothing exciting

[ZamanFan]

Lucky he didnt get to play in Aus or else they would have shown he is just like all the others! Will do fine on these pitches and a terrible failure when theres a hint of swing.. nothing exciting

If this management had belief Abid Ali will flop they would've made him debut in Brisbane. To be honest Misbah and other cricketers can gauge the potential of a player better than anyone else and they knew Abid's determination, this guy is toiling for 7 years for an opportunity he would've pounced on it, same way he has done now.

Please check debut of most of Pakistani players who came on merit apart from p@rchi Imam, Fakhar Zaman was made to open on debut against South Africa in knouckout match in Champions Trophy. Sarfaraz Ahmed was made to open in World Cup 2015 match against South African bowling by coach Waqar Younis.

Pakistan Team Management has been putting onus on debutants and new players to protect the TTFs f the team.

For your kind information Abid Ali was included in last minute as Misbah feared being put into bat after winning toss on the first day would expose the batting lineup again, which is why they did'nt play Imam. Sri Lankan bowling woiuld've moved the bowl more than the Pkistani side on this pitch so according to management Abid facing the new bowl and failing will help seal his fate.

[Uzzy_Khan]

If this management had belief Abid Ali will flop they would've made him debut in Brisbane. To be honest Misbah and other cricketers can gauge the potential of a player better than anyone else and they knew Abid's determination, this guy is toiling for 7 years for an opportunity he would've pounced on it, same way he has done now.

Please check debut of most of Pakistani players who came on merit apart from p@rchi Imam, Fakhar Zaman was made to open on debut against South Africa in knouckout match in Champions Trophy. Sarfaraz Ahmed was made to open in World Cup 2015 match against South African bowling by coach Waqar Younis.

Pakistan Team Management has been putting onus on debutants and new players to protect the TTFs f the team.

For your kind information Abid Ali was included in last minute as Misbah feared being put into bat after winning toss on the first day would expose the batting lineup again, which is why they did'nt play Imam. Sri Lankan bowling woiuld've moved the bowl more than the Pkistani side on this pitch so according to management Abid facing the new bowl and failing will help seal his fate.

U seem to have a lot of inside infornation..very impressive.

The thing is even Azhar who had no clue how to hold a bat in Aus made some runs.just shows the nature of the pitch.. bring this lad to England, SA, Aus and people like u will be asking for his dropping! Bottom line is ALL our openers are useless abroad! Literally ALL!! And most become bradman on these road like wickets!!!

[ZamanFan]

U seem to have a lot of inside infornation..very impressive.

The thing is even Azhar who had no clue how to hold a bat in Aus made some runs.just shows the nature of the pitch.. bring this lad to England, SA, Aus and people like u will be asking for his dropping! Bottom line is ALL our openers are useless abroad! Literally ALL!! And most become bradman on these road like wickets!!!

Rofl how many openers you have seen from Pakistan since 2009. There are'nt more than 5 or 6 openers who are being rotated with 20 or so average.

What were the other lads before him, doing? Likes of
Babar Kohli, Shan Masood Greenidge, Imam bradman and Azhar Hussey.

[daytrader]

Wow Shakeel Sheikh got a commendation!

[Snowflake]

Bhai Bhai Bhai

That’s why “Bhais” keep playing until all of their hair is white.

Respecting others is always welcome, but please come out of this seniority culture. Which in turn makes these “Bhais” feel like they’re the messiah of the team.

Couldn't have said it any better. This "bhai" culture is so nauseating. You'd never see that in a professional set up. Even India has grown out of this mindset. Respect should be earned through performance only.

This is one of the big reasons why our youngsters are so timid and meek. They're always playing under these bhais' shadows - never given the opportunity to express themselves.

The sad part is that the bhais these days themselves are pretty mediocre players... At least bhais like Wasim and Waqar had some credentials to their names.

[Blistering Barnacle]

Good for him, but why do I always hear this or some variation of this from players when they've made a good score:

"Misbah bhai and Azhar bhai told me to stay at the wicket and make my innings as long as possible which was best for the team and for me"

Come on, isn't this obvious to you already? You really need someone to tell you this?

[moghul]

Lucky he didnt get to play in Aus or else they would have shown he is just like all the others! Will do fine on these pitches and a terrible failure when theres a hint of swing.. nothing exciting

Good to see a "najoomi" among us, who can see what others can't.

[hitthestump]

Couldn't have said it any better. This "bhai" culture is so nauseating. You'd never see that in a professional set up. Even India has grown out of this mindset. Respect should be earned through performance only.

This is one of the big reasons why our youngsters are so timid and meek. They're always playing under these bhais' shadows - never given the opportunity to express themselves.

The sad part is that the bhais these days themselves are pretty mediocre players... At least bhais like Wasim and Waqar had some credentials to their names.

Exactly. In our current era it's the seniors themselves which push this bhai bhai mentality as they know they have no actual credentials beyond their age. Even Babar during the WC was giving so much praise to Hafeez Bhai as if his knock wouldn't have been possible without the great professor standing at one end while he was scoring all the runs.

[MenInG]

Playing like a star at the moment.

[emranabbas]

Bhai Bhai Bhai

That’s why “Bhais” keep playing until all of their hair is white.

Respecting others is always welcome, but please come out of this seniority culture. Which in turn makes these “Bhais” feel like they’re the messiah of the team.

These bhais are similar to the Bhai of underworld

And praising them is similar to protection money

If the poor lads don't give credit to these bhais then the chances are you won't see them in the next game

So you really have to suck up if you want a career in cricket under these bhais

[KingKhan12]

Looking good so far. Lovely watching him bat

[Titan24]

After Babar he has looked the best in recent times.

[Kroll]

All this bhai talk by our players seems so hollow and corny.

[MenInG]

Abid Ali speaking to the press:

"The Test squad camp has been running for 2 weeks and we are playing a practice match so our training has been good, our coaches Wasim and Kabir had been managing us well; We had a practice match in LCCA before and now we are having a practice game at the GSL ; We are all practicing with a positive mindset which hopefully will be good for the team"

"My focus is on the next Test match to give my 100% and obviously as everyone knows, a third century is also important ; The prayers of the nation will be with me and I will try my best to play a good innings in the next match; I will give my 100% and the result is in ALLAH's hands"

"I am interested in playing cricket and will play any format that I am asked to play in; T20 is also a cricket format and I will be ready for that and will look to do well if given a chance to play that format; In ODIs and Tests, I have been given a lot of success by ALLAH and no amount of thanks to the Almighty is enough"

"I am trying to stay positive and practice with a positive mind to continue with the performances I had against Sri Lanka; Unfortunately, I could not make 200 in that match but I am practicing for the next match with same positive mindset; I havent changed anything in my batting for next game and will play according to the team's requirement"

" I had been playing domestic cricket for a while and wasn't able to get a chance but I was still attached to the team, but what I needed was a good chance to represent Pakistan; I had been setting myself up with a positive mind so I would be ready when I got a chance"

"I wasnt disheartened as I had a positive message from my father to not give up on hardwork and so I was rewarded for that by Allah"

"We have made plans with a positive mindset based on thoughts by Misbah and Azhar,; This first match of the series will be an important match as its the first match of the Test championship, so we will try our best in 'pindi to win"

"I have been watching how SRT plays since the start of my career, and have watched his videos also; There other great players like Younis Khan, Inzi, Ricky Ponting and Mark Waugh who I have also watched but my height is similar to Sachin so I follow him more; I try and copy all the good habits of Sachin and try and adopt his techniques; I have no plan to be called the Sachin Tendulkar of Pakistan"

"I am working on my fitness and our standards are very good and Misbah and Yasir Bhai have given us the standard to conform to and I feel that I am doing well in terms of fitness"

"I am not concerned about debuting late as this was the time pre-ordained for me; My intention is to serve Pakistan in the best way possible

[mahmed]

Good stuff, keep working In sha Allah you will be blessed.

[The Googly]

The "culture" I find really annoying is nitpicking the smallest things for criticism.

Thank you. This is so true. Let's pick on him for calling an older person Bhai!!!!! Incredible. Our people are ultra sensitive. It's part of our cultural heritage to show respect to our elders. Why make an issue of something so trivial??

You are completely right about the seniority issue by the way. It;s just your wording and picking on one of cultural strong points to make your point. Azhar is skipper due to seniority only and needs to go. But that's just the mindset of the coach that needs adjusting.

[MenInG]

Bit embarrassing to be dismissed for a duck but still feel he is an excellent batsman for Pakistan.

[Mamoon]

He either completely fails or gets a hundred. I’m afraid the number of hundreds will diminish as he gets older. He is already 32 officially, which means he is probably already 35 actually, and this could be the last good patch of his career.

[Abdullah]

Still not sure about this guy for overseas.
Will do just fine in pak

[Abdullah]

Still not sure about this guy for overseas.
Will do just fine in pak

[Zaz]

One duck and the knives are out

From hero to zero this is how pakistan fans are One extreme to another

Just let him play without pressure and judge him over a extended period please

[minamino]

He looks like btec Azhar Ali nothing more nothing less

[Ronaldo7]

I've been saying for ages that he's not that good.
It's just going to become clearer

[Markhor]

Oh dear no hundred this time. Kick him out, tie him up outside PCB HQ and throw rotten tomatoes at him.

[MenInG]

Not impressed in the ongoing 4-Day game - out for 10 runs in 33 balls!

[shamaan]

Not impressed in the ongoing 4-Day game - out for 10 runs in 33 balls!

He defo needs to be given atleadt the first game tbh all batters have struggled

[sweep_shot]

Great statement from Abid Ali.

People shouldn't put pressure on him by comparing him with past legends. Let him develop first.

[The Viper]

​Pakistan batsman Abid Ali was at the centre of an injury scare on the third morning of Pakistan's intra-squad match at the Incora County Ground in Derby.

The 32-year-old opener was fielding at short leg when he was struck on the helmet after a full-blooded clip from Haider Ali and immediately fell to his knees before rolling onto his back and needed on-field treatment from the Pakistan medical staff and St John’s Ambulance men.

An ambulance was brought out to the middle but the player was eventually able to sit unaided on a stretcher.

A spokesman for the tourists said Abid had not been seriously hurt and it was hoped he would be able to continue to take part in the match although he may have to go to hospital for precautionary checks.

[Saj]

The 32-year-old opening batsman was absent during the afternoon session as he was assessed by a doctor but is not thought to have sustained any serious injury. It is not known at this stage if he will play again in the match.

[Abdullah719]

Abid Ali injury update

Derby, 19 July 2020:

Abid Ali was struck on the helmet while fielding at forward short-leg on day three of the intra-squad match on Sunday afternoon. Abid Ali has shown no signs of concussion but has undergone a precautionary CT scan which also has returned normal.

Abid, who has also been rested from the remainder of the match, was hit near the logo of the helmet by a Haider Ali flick off Mohammad Abbas.

Pakistan team doctor, Dr Sohail Saleem, said: “Abid is absolutely fine and will be available to resume training on Wednesday following Tuesday’s rest day. He underwent a precautionary CT scan which has also returned normal.”

[Majid Khan]

Don’t compare me with legends ? Let me guess , was someone comparing him to Hafeez ?

[Abdullah719]

Out for 1 in the second practice match.

[Invincible Gujjar]

I don't think he is any good but he is better than Imam and hack fakhar.

[TeymurBlake]

The warm-ups haven't been good for him. To be fair it is his first big away tour.

[shamaan]

The warm-ups haven't been good for him. To be fair it is his first big away tour.

Its proberly becouse he likes to play his shots and in english conditions you will get dismissed early if you try

[shamaan]

I don't think he is any good but he is better than Imam and hack fakhar.

Its between him and imaam for the oppening slot

[TeymurBlake]

Its proberly becouse he likes to play his shots and in english conditions you will get dismissed early if you try

Exactly. He's got to take his time, acclimatise with the conditions, even if he plays with a low strike rate, atleast get yourself in.

[shamaan]

Exactly. He's got to take his time, acclimatise with the conditions, even if he plays with a low strike rate, atleast get yourself in.

Agreed pluss he hasnt got experience in playing in these conditions he may only get the 1 test most 2 if he doesnt perform

[TeymurBlake]

Agreed pluss he hasnt got experience in playing in these conditions he may only get the 1 test most 2 if he doesnt perform

I would disagree but I think he would get dropped after a couple of low scores. But with Shan Masood, Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman being the other opener options, it doesn't make for good readings.

[shamaan]

I would disagree but I think he would get dropped after a couple of low scores. But with Shan Masood, Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman being the other opener options, it doesn't make for good readings.

What do you disagree with how many chances he should get ?

[TeymurBlake]

What do you disagree with how many chances he should get ?

Maybe the Test series.

[shamaan]

Maybe the Test series.

He may stil get the whole series but if hes getting 5 and 10s in first 2 matches then il drop him if he gets 1 hundred or 2 fifties then is give him the whole test series

[TeymurBlake]

He may stil get the whole series but if hes getting 5 and 10s in first 2 matches then il drop him if he gets 1 hundred or 2 fifties then is give him the whole test series

Yeah they probably will. Regardless the expectations of Pakistan openers to deliver are quite low.

[shamaan]

Yeah they probably will. Regardless the expectations of Pakistan openers to deliver are quite low.

That's why sami aslam should have been on this tour

[TeymurBlake]

Yeah. I mean we could go through so many players that would have been better than the ones that traveled.

[Prince of Pakistan]

Abid Ali's form is worrying, but then again not many top order bats have looked good until now. Imam and Shaan might have one fifty but haven't looked commanding.

Abid vs Imam could be a close one.

[shamaan]

Abid Ali's form is worrying, but then again not many top order bats have looked good until now. Imam and Shaan might have one fifty but haven't looked commanding.

Abid vs Imam could be a close one.

Yes defo close they could go either way with them 2

[Saj]

Head injury and poor form.

Not the best of tours so far for Abid.

[NauV]

With his technique, he seems dopey on both edges . . He seems like a great LBW candidate (nightmare facing Broad) and doesn't look very compact outside the off stump either making him susceptible to the away swing (nightmare facing both Anderson and Woakes) . .

I know he has been a general hit on the forum since his debut and perhaps debuted way too late . . and his performances have been good, so fair enough . .

However, for this series . . With his technique, I would be highly surprised if he even averages over 25 . .

[MenInG]

From match report for Day 3 of 2nd 4-Day intra-squad game:

Abid, who made one on the first day, faced 42 balls for 16 but in the last over before tea, fell across the crease and was lbw to Faheem Ashraf

[Abdullah719]

Abid Ali Recalls His Match Winning Innings Against Sri Lanka At The NSK

[MenInG]

Needs to get settled in and then bat and bat!

[Firebat]

Seemed to go very hard at balls outside his off stump, and got intimidated into gluing his front foot to the crease after a few Archer bouncers. Out for 16 (37). Shaky start to the series from Abid.

[Firebat]

.

[IAJ]

Got a very good one from Archer.

[shamaan]

Got a very good one from Archer.

Got a good delivery but it was the short ball that had effect

[TeymurBlake]

He needs some work, cause so far its not looking good.

The short ball is still quite a weakness for a few Pakistani batsman but specially for Abid. This will likely be a tough series for him.

[Invincible Gujjar]

He will fail miserably in this series but he can have fun on dead tracks

[Amjid Javed]

Hes going to get worked over with short stuff so he needs to improve his game quickly.

[Saj]

He's going to face a lot of chin music.

The problem is he is that worried about the short ball that his feet were in cement for his dismissal.

Hope I'm wrong, but I'm not expecting much from Abid in this series.

[Bewal Express]

He looked decent until the short ball pushed him back and then an excellent delivery, which moved in and bowled him. If I was him, I wouldn't be too disheartened.

[DandyFellow]

Abid does not look ready for England tracks but Pakistan should not play two left hand openers together. Today, the right-left combination worked in the first 10 overs as Pakistan rotated well. Two left handers will give Broad and Anderson the chance to bowl in a channel to both players.

[DandyFellow]

If they decide to drop Abid in 2nd or 3rd test, they should open with Azhar and play Imam at 3.

[Abid Z]

Look at all the arm chair pundits. This guy is a fabulous player. He’s not perfect and is certainly a little awe struck right now but mark my words he’s going to emerge as one of the finest openers we have produced lately.

[PakPremi]

Abid is twice the player Imam or Sami are. He played a fine inning albeit was cut short by a good Archer set up. He provided a good platform for rest of team to build on the total. This is his first inning in England so as Abid Z said will be a little nervous and will be limiting himself to task set by Pak management think tank.

[uberkoen]

He looks like a guy we can trust to open our batting lineup. He was a bit nervous to begin with but that is to be expected considering we haven't been playing much and it was his first test in England. He'll come into his own in this series and I expect good performances from him in the near future.

He's a good find and I hope we persist with him.

[TrentDevil]

He did survive a bouncer barrage from Lahiru Kumara & then went on full attack mode when Kumara bowled full, but that was in Pakistan.

He's gonna find it bit difficult in England but I back him to come good and expect atleast one big score from him. Needs bit of work on incoming deliveries, he struggles against them. Surprisingly, he's very good at bowling leaving him i.e. outswingers.

[MenInG]

He looks like a guy we can trust to open our batting lineup. He was a bit nervous to begin with but that is to be expected considering we haven't been playing much and it was his first test in England. He'll come into his own in this series and I expect good performances from him in the near future.

He's a good find and I hope we persist with him.

Bit unhappy with the way he got himself setup by Jofra with short balls - compare with Babar and Shan who got similar treatment from Jofra but saw through his plan.

[uberkoen]

Bit unhappy with the way he got himself setup by Jofra with short balls - compare with Babar and Shan who got similar treatment from Jofra but saw through his plan.

Agreed however, I think Babar at least learned his lesson from last time around when he was also being exposed to short pitched deliveries and bouncers. The hope is that he learns and doesn't make the same mistake again.