Azhar Ali (Punjabi:اظہر علی; born 19 February 1985) is a Pakistani former international cricketer.

[7] Ali was a major contributor to helping his country win the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, where in the final, he scored 59 runs.

[8][9] In August 2018, he was one of thirty-three players to be awarded a central contract for the 2018–19 season by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

In this role, he will focus on nurturing young talent, building grassroots structures, and mentoring players under the PCB Pathways Programme.

[19] After moving back to Pakistan, he started playing regularly for Khan Research Laboratories, and scored 503 runs at the batting average of 50.25 in 2007–2008 season.

On 16 July 2018, Ali signed for Somerset for the final seven matches of the County Championship season, replacing the injured Matt Renshaw.

[24] In December 2023, he was named in Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited's squad for the 2023–24 President's Trophy.

[19] At the same time, Pakistan cricket team were scheduled to tour England and he was included in the Test squad.

[19] Following the exclusion of middle-order stalwarts Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf from the Pakistani team in 2010, Ali was drafted into the lineup for the Test series against Australia and England in July 2010.

Following these disastrous collapses Mohammad Yousuf was recalled to the squad and Amin lost his place, but Ali was given another opportunity and found his feet in the third Test, scoring an unbeaten 92.

He scored half centuries in both innings of the first Test, and helped Pakistan, chasing an improbable 451, avoid defeat with a crucial fourth-innings partnership with the returning Younus Khan.

Following consistent performances against South Africa backed up with experience against England and Australia the selectors picked Ali for the two-match Test series against New Zealand in January 2011, also young Pakistan batsman Asad Shafiq was given a place alongside Ali.

His crucial innings enabled him make into the Top-10 of ICC Test Rankings for the first time, as he joined Graeme Smith on 753 points.

Pakistan won the match by 180 runs, the highest margin of victory for any team in an ICC tournament final.

[33] In January 2021, he was named in Pakistan's 17-man squad for their historic home Test series against South Africa.

[35] After Misbah-ul-Haq retired from ODIs, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had a tough job to do while appointing Misbah's successor.

Sarfraz Ahmad gave the selectors a long thought but the board finally decided to go in favor of Azhar Ali who hadn't played ODI cricket for almost 2 years at the time of his appointment.

Ali came to the side with good scores of 62 and 101, his maiden ODI century but could not prevent his team from the whitewash.

[38] Pakistan's quest for ICC Champions Trophy qualification received a significant boost against Sri Lanka.

He said "Azhar is in the form of his life at the moment and he gives us confidence to play our natural game, When you see him at the other end, it makes you bat positively".

PCB and coach Mickey Arthur backed him and he was retained as ODI skipper against West Indies in UAE.