Sources have indicated that Azhar Ali, the former captain of Pakistan, is likely to secure a significant role within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), as on Wednesday.
The 38-year-old is anticipated to take on a pivotal position at the National Cricket Academy, with discussions underway regarding his potential appointment as the academy’s director. Conversations between Ali and PCB officials are currently ongoing, and a final decision regarding this appointment is expected by the end of this month.
Ali, who retired from Test cricket in December 2022 after Pakistan’s Test series against England, is presently engaged in domestic cricket. He’s actively playing for SNGPL in the President Trophy and also participated in England’s county cricket with Worcestershire in 2023.
Expressing his insights on Pakistan’s Test performances in Australia during an exclusive interview in Karachi, Ali highlighted the challenges faced by the team. He pointed out the difficulties faced by Pakistani bowlers in dismissing Australia, emphasizing that Pakistani bowlers managing to take 20 wickets against Australia in Australia has been a rare occurrence.
While analyzing Pakistan’s performance in the ongoing series, Ali stressed the need for the bowlers to take greater responsibility for the team’s success. He emphasized the significance of restricting Australia’s total to under 300 runs, believing in Pakistan’s ability to post scores around 450-475 but highlighting the criticality of the bowlers’ performance in limiting Australia’s batting prowess.
Ali remains optimistic about Pakistan’s potential to stage a comeback in the series, emphasizing the bowlers’ role in achieving favorable outcomes against Australia.