Paul Farbrace: “He just plays the game in the right way, and you can’t help but admire such a fantastic player”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Paul Farbrace, the Sussex head coach, said he “can’t help but admire” Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali since he is a “fantastic player” that “plays the game in the right way.”
He noted that Azhar is exactly “what county cricket needs” as having elite cricketers like him will help protect the competition and ensure younger talent get to play against top players who have succeeded at the highest level.
“This is what county cricket needs. It needs the best players playing county cricket and, if we are going to protect county cricket and make it the game we all want it to be, we need the best players playing, and Azhar is a great example of someone,” Farbrace was quoted as saying on the Worcestershire County Cricket Club website.
“He just plays the game in the right way, and you can’t help but admire such a fantastic player.”
Azhar is playing for Worcestershire in Division Two of the County Championship and has scored 533 runs in 11 matches, which includes two centuries and a fifty, at an average of 26.65.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan team just beat Afghanistan 3-0 in an ODI series after whitewashing Sri Lanka 2-0 in a Test series.
The men in green are now participating in the Asia Cup and began their campaign with a 238-run win over Nepal.
Their next match will be against India on September 2 in Pallekele.
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