Former Pakistan cricketer, Azhar Ali, who is currently representing Worcestershire has reached a significant milestone during County season. 

The veteran batsman has become the 17th Pakistan cricketer to reach the landmark of 16,000 First Class runs.

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With this accomplishment, Azhar joins the ranks of legendary Pakistan cricketers such as Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq, who both achieved the feat in 2016. 

Azhar Ali’s achievement is a testament to his incredible talent and perseverance in the sport.

Recently, Sussex head coach, Paul Farbrace, heaps praise on Worcestershire’s Azhar Ali, by considering him as a “world-class player in all conditions”  following his brilliant century in last week’s County Championship draw. 

“Azhar is an outstanding player, and he showed on Sunday he is a world-class player in all conditions,” he said.

“As much as I would have liked to have seen the back of him earlier, it was a pleasure to watch him bat again. He is a fantastic man and a great advert for the game, the patience with the way he played and lined the ball up,” he maintained.

“He was the difference probably between us trying to sneak a victory and the game finishing as a draw, which both sides are going to learn from.

“He just plays the game in the right way, and you can’t help but admire such a fantastic player,” he added.

In the year 2022, the former Pakistan captain, announced his retirement from the longest-format game following the third Test against England.

With 7,097 runs in 96 matches at an average of 42.49, Azhar is Pakistan’s fifth leading Test run-getter behind Younis Khan (10,099), Javed Miandad (8,832), Inzamam-ul-Haq (8,829) and Mohammad Yousuf (7,530).

In 2010, Azhar, as a 25-year-old, made his Test debut in England against Australia at Lord’s and scored his maiden Test half-century in only his second match. He would score 34 more half-centuries and went past the 100-run mark on 19 instances.

Azhar, 37, is the only Pakistan batter to score a triple-century in a pink-ball Test – a feat that he achieved against the West Indies at Dubai in 2016. That unbeaten 302 remains his highest score in Test cricket.