The English summer of 2010 was one for Pakistanis the world over to forget in cricketing terms. The spot-fixing scandal threatened to derail Pakistani cricket for a long time. There were even calls from some —one being Ian Botham —for Pakistan to be banned from the International game indefinitely. Though what really emerged from that tour was that Pakistan's batting future was sealed.
With Younis Khan serving a ban and Mohammad Yousaf ignored, Azhar Ali got his first call-up. His First Class record was average at best and he had started his career as a specialist leg spinner until Scotland saw something in him with the bat. All things taken into consideration, the Board seemed to have made a horrendous decision. What followed was Azhar showing the world a glimpse of his talent. Despite not having a great technique and not being a natural stroke player, his hunger and drive were strong evidence that Pakistan had a talent that could excel in the world game.
He made his Test debut at Lords against Australia under the leadership of Shahid Afridi. In the second innings of that game at Lords was a glimpse of the future. A steady 42 in a thrilling 102-run partnership with Salman Butt was a solid introduction for Azhar, who had been nicknamed 'Dhania' by a friend of mine for his coolness.
His career has progressed at a rapid pace. Averaging more in Test cricket than his First Class, his status is now undoubted. Already with 4 Test centuries, including being the only one thus far to get 3 in 2012, Azhar has been nothing short of a phenomenon. Despite many doubting his ability to make it big in the limited-overs format, Azhar has made a fine transition. Still learning his trade to up the ante there, his ODI call-ups have now given him a new dimension in the Test game.
One of the problems for Azhar was that he couldn't seem to rotate the strike when a bowler was keeping their line. This was mostly to spinners; Azhar seemed to lack a 'get out of jail shot'. That’s when his sweep shot came into effect, something Azhar openly credits to Younis Khan. Younus probably sees some of himself in Azhar. Like Younis, Azhar is not the most natural, though they make the most of their ability with sheer hard work and grit. Azhar’s rise in world stature is one of the most beautiful stories in world cricket. A well-spoken young man is living his dream of playing for Pakistan. His game is based on him occupying the crease, playing out time and then setting a foundation for the Pakistani bowlers to work on.
Recently I have seen a few call Azhar a "Test legend only". This ridiculous taunt is actually a massive compliment for a player barely entering his second year as an International pro. Test cricket is what defines a player and Azhar is well on his way to conquer it. Straight after the England series earlier this year, members of KheloPakistan.com met up with Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq for dinner in Lahore. He was full of praise for Azhar and rated him extremely highly. One of his remarks was, "Azhar is calm, collected and reads the game, he will go on to skipper Pakistan in the future." With that much praise from one of the most successful captains in Pakistan's history, who are we to disagree?
GeoSuper