Azhar not thinking about return to limited-overs cricket

Pakistan Test batsman Azhar Ali has said that he is not thinking about returning to limited-overs cricket, at the moment.  

The top-order batsman had announced his retirement from ODI and T20I cricket, during a press conference at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, back in November last year.

“I’m not thinking on those lines right now and the reason why I decided to retire from limited-overs cricket was due to the fact that I did not see my future in it,” said Ali while talking at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. “If I feel that my country needs me, I will be available to serve Pakistan in those formats once again.”

Official: Azhar Ali announces retirement from limited-overs cricket

The right-hander also addressed the rumours about his possible appointment as the Test captain of the national side, replacing current skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed.

“Nobody has officially approached me with regards to captaincy in Test cricket,” he said.

He also backed the new domestic structure, which has seen a shift from departmental to regional cricket, introduced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

“The introduction of new domestic cricket structure is a good step by the PCB,” he said. “It will lay greater emphasis on a player’s performance.”

Azhar Ali is among the fourteen centrally contracted and six additional men cricketers invited to attend a pre-season camp, which commenced at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore on August 19. The 17-day conditioning camp will run until September 7.

Pakistan’s next international assignment is against Sri Lanka, starting towards the end of September. The Sri Lanka cricket team will arrive in Karachi on September 25 where it will play three ODIs on September 27, 29 and October 2. Lahore will host three T20Is on October 5, 7 and 9, after which the visitors will fly home on October 10.