Azhar Ali is a solid top order player who doesn’t give his wicket away easily, exactly the sort of player that Pakistan seems to be missing in their World Cup squad. He’s made a solid start to his international career and is one of the brightest prospects in Pakistani cricket.

Azhar and Shoaib Akhtar both play domestic cricket for KRL (Khan Research Laboratories) and were part of the ODI squad for the series against England in 2010. Cricistan.com caught up with Azhar Ali to get his thoughts on Akhtar’s retirement.

“I didn’t know Shoaib bhai was going to retire beforehand but on a personal level I did have a feeling that this could be his last World Cup. Especially if Pakistan went on to win. Despite that I was still shocked when I heard the news because in many ways it’s hard to imagine Pakistan cricket without the fastest bowler in the history of the game.” Azhar told Cricistan.com

I asked Azhar what it was like playing with Shoaib for KRL and Azhar was very positive about Shoaib’s influence on the team.

“Shoaib is a very charismatic individual and even fellow cricketers enjoy being in his company. We really enjoy having him at KRL and whenever he plays for us there is always an extra buzz about the team. When one of the best bowlers in the world is running in to bowl for your domestic team, it lifts everyone and makes you feel invincible.” replied Azhar.

Azhar said that Shoaib stands out even in international cricket, where every player is a star.

“I was with the Pakistan team during the ODI series in England and even though it was an International cricket match, Shoaib still attracted a lot of attention. What I liked about Shoaib was that he had time for everyone. He would come to me and the other players who weren’t getting a game and make us feel part of the team. I remember he told me that I had a lot of potential and that as long as I worked hard I would play a lot of games for Pakistan. I know it’s been said many times but Shoaib really does have a big heart and his retirement will be a big loss to Pakistan cricket.” stated Azhar.

Finally I asked Azhar what the KRL pace reserves were like now that Akhtar had retired.

“We have good pace reserves. There’s the 7 foot Mohammad Irfan, the promising Akhtar Ayub and the veteran Yasir Ali. We also have a fast-medium young left armer called Rahat Ali who is very good.” said Azhar.

Thanks to Azhar for his time and I cant wait to see his solid top order batting for Pakistan in the next series!