It’s not very often that a Pakistani cricketer’s career can be labelled as having gone according to plan and without peaks and troughs; however 27 year old Azhar Ali seems to be the current exception to the rule. A test average of over 40 after twenty two Test matches, 3 Test centuries and 13 half centuries are statistics that even his harshest critics would find difficult to pick holes in.

By Saj Sadiq (July 2nd 2012) 

It’s not very often that a Pakistani cricketer’s career can be labelled as having gone according to plan and without peaks and troughs; however 27 year old Azhar Ali seems to be the current exception to the rule. A test average of over 40 after twenty two Test matches, 3 Test centuries and 13 half centuries are statistics that even his harshest critics would find difficult to pick holes in. No controversies, no tantrums, no bizarre statements to the media. Azhar has just quietly gone about his day to day business with an assurance which is rare by Pakistani cricketing standards.

Quite often cricketers say things that make you think, that statement was just to catch the eye of the media or the public, for effect and that they didn’t really mean it, or one thinks that those words may come back to haunt them. However I recall an interview I did with Azhar in October of 2009, which was about 9 months before he made his Test debut at Lords. Azhar stated in that interview "My plan when I go out to bat is to play within my limitations, keep things simple and bat according to my strengths and not to try anything that I am not comfortable with. I keep saying to myself when I am batting, to make sure that I stay at the crease, keep my focus and not to do anything silly out there".

The above statement has epitomised Azhar’s batting since he made his international debut in the unforgettable English summer of 2010. He has undoubtedly batted in an unassuming manner, a manner that has quite often belied his relative inexperience at the highest level of cricket and a manner that has impressed keen observers around the world. The step up from club cricket in Pakistan and Scotland, domestic first class cricket, to “A” cricket to Test cricket has been made with the ease of someone who was nurtured for top level cricket and someone who has the self confidence and mindset to face the toughest opponents in the most trying of conditions. 

Shortly before making his Test debut at Lords against Australia in July 2010 he said to me "I have always dreamt of making my début for Pakistan at Lord's and as luck would have it, our opening Test is at Lord's. I really hope that I am given the opportunity to début at Lord's, as it's a ground steeped in tradition and history. I've always watched matches being played at Lord's and hoped that one day I would play there". Azhar’s dream came true and he did debut at Lords making 16 and 42 respectively, as Pakistan was trounced. However even on debut amongst a rabble of a team in that Test match at Lords, Azhar showed everyone glimpses of what would follow.

If domestic records are the be-all and end-all of international selection then Azhar may never have got his chance. Azhar’s first class batting average hovered around the 30 mark for many years and it was only down to the foresight of the selectors in 2010 that he was given his international chance.......Azhar has not looked back ever since and has grabbed the opportunity with both hands and by the scruff of the neck.

Azhar started his cricketing life as a leg spinner who batted in the lower/middle order. His former captain at Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) and former Pakistani batsman Mohammad Wasim recalled "Azhar was brought to KRL as a leg spinner who could bat a bit. He was 16 or 17 at the time and we brought him to KRL to utilise his bowling. We thought he had enough as a leggie for us to work with and we thought that we could definitely develop his bowling.” 

However as Azhar’s leg spin became less and less utilised at KRL, this meant that Azhar had to work even harder on his batting to retain his spot in the KRL starting eleven and gradually he was moved up the order with a decent amount of success. His confidence with the bat grew in the top order and whilst his leg spin became an afterthought, his batting developed and progressed. Consistency in his batting became more apparent and this brought recognition with a couple of “A” tours, including one to Australia.

Shortly after Azhar’s Test debut Mohammad Wasim also stated to PakPassion "Azhar's solid temperament is his strength, he's very patient and he focuses on occupying the crease. He's ideally suited for Test cricket and knows how to build an innings." The words of Mohammad Wasim have proven to be accurate as Azhar has become a mainstay in the Pakistani Test batting line up at the all important number three position.

Twice Azhar has passed the 150 mark, on both occasions reaching 157, once against England in Dubai in February and the other occasion more recently in Colombo against Sri Lanka. Azhar has shown the fortitude and mental aptitude for a battle, his approach to batting in Test cricket is ideal and I believe that he can be a reliable and solid batsman for Pakistan for many years to come.

However, despite Azhar developing into a dependable Test batsman, his critics state that he cannot rotate the strike well enough or that he has weaknesses against spin. There’s never been a batsman without any weaknesses and flaws and on closer examination and looking at his batting objectively Azhar has already responded accordingly to some of those criticisms. 

Azhar has made his intentions to play for Pakistan in all three formats absolutely clear from the outset. In January of this year he stated to PakPassion "If given a chance I will definitely try to perform well in the twenty over and fifty over formats too". 

The concern however is, will batting in the twenty over format and fifty over format affect Azhar’s Test performance and his technique? Whilst Azhar has made scores of 81 not out and 96 in two of the last four ODIs many are still unconvinced that Azhar is the right man to be opening in the fifty over format despite the introduction of 2 cricket balls to be used in the 50 over format. My opinion is that he should only be playing Test cricket, but I will be the first to hold up my hand and say that I was proved wrong if Azhar becomes a success in one day cricket in future. That remains to be seen, despite the early success.

With Azhar keeping a low profile and quietly doing the job that he is supposed to be doing, talk of him being a future captain has already begun. Azhar may have desires to be captain in future, only he knows, but for the time being let him be, don’t earmark him as captain, let him scores runs, let him be the excellent find he is and let him continue to improve. 

Azhar is a rare talent, a cricketer of the type that Pakistan cricket has craved since the departures of Inzamam and Yousuf and whilst tough challenges such as tours of South Africa and Australia will undoubtedly thoroughly test Azhar, I’m sure that he will pass the challenges presented to him with flying colours for many years to come.