Strong through the covers and point, Ali was also exceptionally good at playing hook and pull shots against the fast bowlers.
Ali was a successful junior cricketer, at one time holding the record for most hundreds in a Karachi zonal league season.
[1] He debuted for Pakistan aged 22 in March 1993, playing both ODI and Test cricket in a tour of the Caribbean.
On 5 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.
[3] He also served as the head coach of the Pakistan women team and the Under-19 team, being the chief selector of the Under-19 squad as well, but had to resign from these positions in December 2016, after he slapped former international cricketer Mahmood Hamid during a domestic tournament.