- Azhar Ali – The Ordinary Hero For Pakistan
Pakistan opener deserves to be among the top five Test cricketers of 2016 and there’s a solid reason behind it.
The 31-year-old limited-overs’ skipper had an impressive season with the bat as he looked compact while playing some remarkable knocks after showing great patience in the middle.
First of his career on Australian soil, Azhar has scored unbeaten 205 against the hosts in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG after a cautious start on the bouncy track. He crossed the 1000-run mark in 2016 in the same marathon innings and became the fifth Pakistani to go past the milestone in the calendar year.
In October, he became the first batsman to score a triple-century with the Pink-Ball in a Test against the West Indies.
Solid in defence, Azhar slammed three centuries and four half-centuries in 11 Tests in which he amassed 1198 runs at an average of 63.05 in 2016.