Asif Ali

Born in Faisalabad, Asif Ali’s domestic numbers don’t do justice to his talent at all. His domestic numbers are not eye-catching, but one look at his T20 numbers and realize that Ali loves the shortest format of the game. 

He first caught the attention of the selectors in the 2011 Faysal Bank Twenty20 tournament. In his debut match against Multan Tigers, Ali slammed a ton of just 59 deliveries, which included 9 fours and 7 sixes.

The right-handed batsman rose to prominence in the 2018 edition of the Pakistan Super League. Playing for Islamabad United, his exploits with the bat propelled Islamabad to their second PSL title. In the finals against Peshawar Zalmi, Ali showed his brute strength by hammering three sixes of Hasan Ali in a nerve-wracking chase and announced his arrival as the next big thing in Pakistan cricket. 

His exploits earned him a call-up to the national side for the three-match T20I series against West Indies in 2018. He made his much-awaited debut in the first T20I of the series but failed to impress with the bat, scoring just 1 run in the game.

In the same year, he got a chance to represent Pakistan in the ODI format, making his debut in the first match and scoring a quickfire 46 to help Pakistan cross the 300-run mark.

Ali was drafted in the Pakistan squad for the 2019 World Cup held in England and Wales. The hard-hitter played only two matches and could only amass 19 runs as Pakistan crashed out of the group stage.

A talented cricketer who has the ability to clear the ground with ease, Ali has looked at home in the shortest format of the game and his ability to change the course of the game within a few overs makes him a valuable asset for Pakistan cricket. He is just the kind of finisher Pakistan have been craving for over the past few years. 

(As of April 2021)