Paul Farbrace: “Azhar is an outstanding player”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Paul Farbrace, the Sussex head coach, said senior Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali “is an outstanding player”.
Azhar, who retired from Test cricket in December 2022, is one of the top batsmen the country has ever produced.
The 38-year-old from Lahore scored 7,142 runs in 97 Tests, which included 19 centuries and 35 fifties, at an average of 42.26.
He also featured in 53 ODIs and amassed 1,845 runs, which included three hundreds and 12 half-centuries, at an average of 36.90.
Currently, he is playing county cricket in England for Worcestershire, where he has made 533 runs in 11 County Championship matches, which includes two centuries and a fifty, at an average of 26.65.
“Azhar is an outstanding player,” Farbrace was quoted as saying on the Worcestershire County Cricket Club website.
The Pakistan team recently defeated Sri Lanka 2-0 in a two-match Test series and then proceeded to whitewash Afghanistan 3-0 in an ODI series.
The men in green will now be involved in the Asia Cup, which will be played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 30 to September 17.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 Asia Cup:Â Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr.
Travelling reserve: Tayyab Tahir