Azhar Ali, Mohammad Abbas star to open up County season

Monitoring Desk

LONDON: The first round of the 2023 County Championship concluded on Monday, with four Pakistani representatives split evenly across both divisions. There were contrasting showings from the contingent, ranging from outstanding to ordinary. Here’s a look at how they went along.

Mohammad Abbas

Mohammad Abbas looks like he was born to play the County Championship, and after a sparkling 2022 with Hampshire, he went on to demonstrate why his retention was such a no-brainer. He began this season even more spectacularly than the last, taking nine wickets across the match, including 6-49 in the first innings to skittle Nottinghamshire out for 185. Defending a narrow lead in a low-scoring match, he teamed up with Kyle Abbott to run through Notts a second time, this time chiefly responsible for running through the middle and lower order. No batter was truly comfortable against the seam bowler; he dismissed eight different Notts batters across both innings. It ensured his side needed just 132 for victory, a feat they managed with eight wickets to spare.

Hasan Ali

Hasan Ali didn’t have quite as sizzling a start to his Championship stint with Warwickshire in a rain-affected game. After the first day was washed out, Warwickshire, bowling first, took nearly 93 overs to bowl out Somerset, with Hasan claiming 2-62 in 19 overs. After Warwickshire claimed a big lead, and with little time left in the contest, Somerset had to bat out 50 overs on the final day. They accomplished this with ease, and Hasan was the most expensive of the Warwickshire bowlers, leaking 52 runs for one wicket in his ten.

Haider Ali and Azhar Ali

Down in Division Two, two Pakistanis found themselves on opposing sides in Derby, when Haider Ali’s Derbyshire took on Azhar Ali’s Worcestershire. Neither made a real impact, and both stayed true to reputation, in the first innings. Haider was dismissed for a breezy 22, while Azhar fell for a gritty 23. But with Derbyshire staring down the barrel of a huge deficit, Haider shone in the second innings, striking up a 134-run opening stand with Billy Godleman, scoring 65 and ensuring Worcestershire had an awkward 192-run chase in the final innings.

This, however, they managed with ease thanks to a 139-run second-wicket partnership between Azhar and Jake Libby. If that sounds familiar, it should: the two shared a century stand in the reverse fixture last season to save the game for Worcestershire, with Azhar scoring 60 and Libby registering an unbeaten 105. This time around, their partnership eased Worcestershire to an eight-wicket win in remarkably similar fashion, as Libby managed an unbeaten 104 while Azhar scored 62.