The player scored his first Test century during Pakistan’s first Test against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan opener Abid Ali etched his name in the history books when he became the first men’s cricket player and second overall to score a century in each of his maiden One-day International and Test innings.
He celebrated his debut with a clean and effortless hundred on the last day of the Rawalpindi Test against Sri Lanka. In doing so, he became the first Pakistan cricketer after Younis Khan to achieve a three-figure score at the venue.
Ali’s story is that of hard work, playing years of domestic cricket that seemed to be going nowhere, heartbreak, patience, and perseverance as he was continually and consistently ignored by selectors. His story is also a lesson of how taking advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself.
Abid Ali has done just that - twice this year to be exact. He celebrated his ODI debut by scoring a century in their match against Australia earlier this year. However, due to a horrible performance against England, he was dropped from the World Cup squad.
With his most recent achievement, he dedicated this to his daughter. ‘What can I say? What more can one ask for? Getting a century in my debut Test and that too in the first Test in Pakistan in 10 years is a magic moment for me’.
‘I want to dedicate this hundred to my darling daughter. I also thank my wife, my family, the media and the team management for supporting and encouraging me all the time. Playing in front of my home crowd which backed me from the first ball made the task easier for me’, he added.
He also said that when he scored 90+ runs, he was getting nervous but Babar Azam helped him regain his focus. ‘...But Babar Azam calmed me down and told me to focus as I should not get out after coming so close to my milestone. I learnt about the record of scoring hundreds on debut in Test and ODIs during the tea break and it made me nervous’.
‘I am just happy that I was able to get my debut century in front of my own people who have been denied the chance to see Tests at home since 2009’.
Pakistan’s next match will be a Test against Sri Lanka. It will begin on December 19 and end on December 23. Pakistan has odds of -344.83 while Sri Lanka has odds of +280. To find out more about Pakistan’s upcoming matches, visit Betwala’s page.
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