Anwar Ali burst into the forefront of the minds of all Pakistani fans with that now infamous spell of swing bowling in the 2006 Under-19s World Cup Final against India where he took 5-35. However he has failed to make an impact in his short international career so far.

Full name Anwar Ali

Born November 25, 1987, Karachi, Sind

Major teams Pakistan, Karachi Blues, Karachi Dolphins,Karachi Harbour, Karachi Urban, Karachi Zebras, Pakistan A,Pakistan International Airlines, Pakistan Under-19s, Sind

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm medium-fast

Anwar Ali burst into the forefront of the minds of all Pakistani fans with that now infamous spell of swing bowling in the 2006 Under-19s World Cup Final against India. His 5-35 in Colombo completely dismantled a powerful Indian batting lineup and took Pakistan to the title.

Since that day, his career has not panned out as some had hoped. He made his debut for Pakistan in 2008 in an uneventful T20I against Zimbabwe in which he bowled 2 overs for 19 runs. He then had to wait till 2013 to next represent the national side, again in a pair of T20Is against Zimbabwe. 

It wasn't until late in 2013 when Pakistan played a plethora of ODIs against South Africa that Anwar Ali got his chance to shine. On his ODI debut, he scored a crucial 43* to push Pakistan to a competitive total before taking 2-24 to take his side to a 23 run win. In a similar situation later in the year against Sri Lanka, he scored 41* although this time it wasn't enough to earn Pakistan the win. He has however shown that he has the drive to succeed at international level and his value in the field is an added bonus. A First-Class bowling average of 27 wuth 17 5-wicket hauls also suggests he might have a role to play in the longer format of the game.

After the 2015 World Cup, Anwar Ali got several chances to show his talent in the home series against Zimbabwe where he played every match of the series in both ODIs and T20Is. However it was a series to forget for him as he went at over 6 runs an over on most occassions and failed to take any significant wickets. He did play a swashbuckling innings of 38 not out in the abandoned third ODI but as a frontline bowler, Anwar Ali needs to improve upon his performances due to the nature of competition in the bowling department.

With a less than impressive bowling record in both ODIs and T20Is, Anwar Ali is running out of time to make a case for a long international career.

Last updated on 14th June 2015