Published: Jun 28, 2015, 08:33 PM (IST)
Edited: Jun 28, 2015, 08:33 PM (IST)
Azhar Ali scored a vital century against Sri Lanka to give Pakistan something to bowl at in the fourth innings. He has been one of Pakistan’s most consistent performers in Tests and more recently in One-Day Internationals (ODI) as well. With the likes of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan nearing the fag end of their careers, Pramod Ananth reckons Azhar is best suited to groom young players in the Pakistan team.
Ever since Azhar was handed over captaincy of the ODI side, he has looked a completely different player. He was a surprise choice as he had not played an ODI for over two years. But he has led from the front ever since he was handed over the responsibility. In his six innings as captain his scores read 72, 36, 101, 79, 102, and 46. In his first series as captain he had to suffer the brunt of being “Bangla-washed,” but he bounced back well to lead his side to a series win over Zimbabwe in Pakistan’s first home series in over six years. READ: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 2015: Wahab Riaz’s painful birthday bash
Moving on to the Test arena now, he has been one of the regulars since he made his debut in 2010. He has made the No.3 position his own and has often dug his team out of trouble. Azhar replaced Misbah as captain in the limited overs and could be named the skipper in Tests once Misbah decides to call it a day. Younis Khan, who played his 100th Test against Sri Lanka in the ongoing series, too may not have many more matches in him. In such a situation, Azhar might just be the one who can bring the best out of many youngsters in the team.
Pakistan is not short of good young players. The likes of Asad Shafiq, Junaid Khan, Sarfraz Ahmed, and Rahat Ali have done well in the opportunities they have received so far. There will be huge hole to fill once Misbah and Younis retire. In situations like these, the young guns can take solace from the fact that they have someone like Azhar to look up to in the team. Azhar is blessed with excellent technique and temperament that will surely take him a long way. He will surely lead Pakistan into their new era in Tests, once he gets the opportunity. READ: Saeed Ajmal: No plans to retire in near future
Although his ability to captain the side has not been thoroughly tested yet, he will surely take some tips from the senior pros in the team that might groom him to become one of their finest captains yet. Azhar will now hope that he puts in one consistent performance after the other and make himself a better player and groom himself into a better leader. READ: Tharindu Kaushal’s five-for a smartly executed plan
(Pramod Ananth is a reporter at CricketCountry. He has represented Karnataka table tennis under-15, and is a hardcore supporter of Liverpool FC. His Twitter handle is @pramz)
