Former Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali is set to retire from Test cricket after the conclusion of the historic three-match series against England. Tributes have been pouring in for the veteran batter ever since it emerged that the third Test at Karachi will be his last. On the eve of the Karachi Test, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shared a heartwarming video of the dressing room tributes for Azhar Ali. In the touching video, the likes of Babar Azam, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq can be seen celebrating Azhar’s stellar career. PCB’s video has gone viral and fans have appreciated the board for their gesture.
Azhar shared tweet and expressed his gratitude towards his teammates on the microblogging site. An overwhelmed Azhar tweeted, “Thank you so much, guys. It has been an honour to call you all my teammates.”
Many fans replied under Azhar’s tweet and thanked the 37-year-old for his service to Pakistan cricket.
One fan wrote, “You will always be remembered for what you have done for this country, congratulations on your brilliant test career AJJU BHAI , proud to be your fan – wishing you the best for your next innings.”
You will always be remembered for what you have done for this country , congratulations on your brilliant test career AJJU BHAI , proud to be your fan – wishing you the best for your next innings 🙌❤️— Asad Abdullah (@asad_qureshi257) December 16, 2022
Azhar announced his decision to retire from the longest format of the game after the third and final Test against England.
Azhar wasn’t selected in the playing XI for the second Test after he failed with the bat in the high-scoring series opener on a flat pitch in Rawalpindi.
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Since making his Test debut in 2010 against Australia at Lord’s, Azhar had established himself as the mainstay of Pakistan in Tests. Azhar has represented Pakistan in 96 Tests so far and scored 7097 runs at a healthy average of 42.49. In fact, such was his run-scoring prowess that he was made the full-time captain of Pakistan in 2019. Azhar captained his nation in nine Tests and Pakistan even won two home series under him. Azhar also led Pakistan in ODIs 2015 – taking over after the World Cup, from Misbah-ul-Haq – to 2017.
It remains to be seen if Azhar will be selected in the playing XI for the Karachi Test. If he is selected, Azhar would like to end his career on a high by helping Pakistan avoid the ignominy of a 3-0 series sweep.
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