Basit Ali

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Basit Ali

Pakistan
Personal information
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Career statistics
Tests ODIs
Matches 19 50
Runs scored 858 1265
Batting average 26.81 34.18
100s/50s 1/5 1/9
Top score 103 127*
Balls bowled 6 30
Wickets - 1
Bowling average - 21.00
5 wickets in innings - -
10 wickets in match - n/a
Best bowling - 1/17
Catches/stumpings 6/- 15/-

As of 4 February 2006
Source: [1]

Basit Ali (Urdu: باسط علی) (born December 13, 1970, Karachi, Sind) is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 19 Tests and 50 ODIs from 1993 to 1996. He was recognized by many to have a similar batting style as Javed Miandad. A right hander, he has the relatively uncommon statistic of having a higher ODI than Test batting average. Strong through the covers and point, Ali was also a nerveless hooker and puller against the fast bowlers.

Ali was a successful junior cricketer, at one time holding the record for most hundreds in a Karchi zonal league season[2]. He debuted for Pakistan aged 22 in March 1993, playing both ODI and Test cricket in a tour of the Caribbean. He went on to play in 19 Tests but made just the one Test century, against New Zealand in 1993-94.

An aggressive risk taker, he was a regular in the Pakistani ODI side for a while in the mid 90's. In November 1993 he scored the then second fastest One Day International century in history, with a 67 ball effort against the West Indies at Sharjah. He was 5 runs short of the record of Mohammad Azharuddin and finished on 127 not out[3].

He became involved in the Pakistani match fixing scandal which ended the career of Saleem Malik. Ali and Rashid Latif accused Pakistani players of match-fixing as well as facing allegations against themselves[4]. He was forced into a premature retirement.