I Want To See Pakistan Win The Test Championship In My Career - Azhar Ali
Published - 07 Aug 2021, 12:27 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:51 AM
Former Pakistan Test captain Azhar Ali expressed his wish of seeing his country win the World Test Championship while he is still playing. Since the batsman is already crossed 36 it is possible that the WTC 2021-23 would be his last tournament.
However, it is extremely difficult for Pakistan who came sixth in the first edition of the WTC. Azhar Ali was replaced by Babar Azam as Test captain during the first cycle; Pakistan won 4 matches and lost 5 out of 12 total they played in the WTC 2019-21 and were miles behind contention for a place in the final.
Nonetheless, with recent success against South Africa and Zimbabwe, Azhar Ali is hoping for much better performance going forward. They take on West Indies away to commence their second WTC cycle.
“The ICC World Test Championship is a valuable addition and has helped make this format more competitive. I want to see Pakistan win the Test championship in my career. Test cricket is the pinnacle format and this format is still entertaining fans around the globe. Fans in Australia, England, and New Zealand still wait for a Test match,” Azhar Ali said in a press conference from West Indies.
A Caribbean tour is never an easy one: Azhar Ali
Azhar Ali, who averages 43.28 in 87 Tests, is one of the batting mainstays for Pakistan along with skipper Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Fawad Alam. The right-hander is wary of the challenges they would be facing against West Indies, who are still a formidable outfit at home.
“A Caribbean tour is never an easy one and we are preparing for the challenges ahead here in Guyana. The West Indies have a good bowling line-up but our batters are in a good shape.
“Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are in good knick and they have shown their pedigree in the white-ball matches leading up to the Tests. Among the Test batters, Abid Ali and Fawad Alam are also performing consistently from the last couple of series,” he added.
Babar Azam’s side stands a decent chance to reach the final of the WTC owing to their fixtures this cycle: they play Australia, New Zealand, and England at home, three teams who struggle in Asia; Pakistan take on West Indies, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka away – places where they would be expected to do well in all three away series.
