Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali to return to Somerset for 2019 season

Experienced Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali is set to return to English county side Somerset as an overseas player for the next season, the club announced on November 26. He will be available for the entire County Championship and Royal London One-Day Cup campaigns during his 2019 stint. Azhar is currently playing the second Test match against New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates.

The 33-year-old batsman who scored 81 in his latest Test innings against the Kiwis, has quit ODIs which means he doesn’t have to bother about the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales next summer and can concentrate on the county stint for the entire season. He had produced a decent performance with Somerset last season and will look to repeat the same. Somerset club authorities in Monday tweeted to confirm his return to the club.

BREAKING: Delighted to announce that Azhar Ali will be returning to Somerset County Cricket Club for the entire 2019 season! 🤝#WeAreSomerset @AzharAli_ @TheRealPCB pic.twitter.com/fH2ftXjqgl

— Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) November 26, 2018

“I very much enjoyed my time with the club this year and I am really pleased to be going back. Somerset is a special club and it was a pleasure to play for them in 2018. There was a really good atmosphere in the dressing room and there are some very good players at the club. The supporters were excellent and I look forward to seeing everyone again next year,” the Lahore batsman was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s The News International.

Somerset happy with Azhar Ali’s return

Somerset’s cricket director Andrew Hurry also expressed his happiness over Ali’s return. “Azhar fitted in seamlessly during his time with us towards the back end of the 2018 season. Knowing the positive impact that he will have both on and off the field, alongside his availability all summer, were key factors in wanting to secure him,” Hurry was quoted as saying.

Azhar made his international debut in 2010 and has played in 68 Tests and 53 ODIs scoring over 7,000 runs with 17 hundreds that include a triple hundred scored against the Windies in Dubai in 2016.

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