Pakistan is known more for its menacing pace bowlers than heavy-scoring batsmen. But that seems to have changed this year, at least in limited overs cricket in the domestic circuit, with Islamabad batsman Abid Ali making the highest List A score by a Pakistan batsman in history.
Ali hit an unbeaten 209 against Peshawar in the ongoing National One Day Cup on Tuesday. He hit 24 boundaries and five sixes during his 156-ball knock.
The 30-year-old Ali is a right-handed wicketkeeper batsman and has been playing domestic cricket since 2005. However, he had scored just one one-day century prior to the double ton on Tuesday.
Ali’s knock helped Islamabad make 374-1 from their 50 overs. That target proved too steep for Peshawar who were bowled out for 141 in 38 overs.
Ali became only the fourth Pakistan batsman to hit a double century in the one-day format. Interestingly, it was the second List A century of 2018 in Pakistan after wicketkeeper batsman Kamran Akmal hit exactly 200 for WAPDA against HBL on January 3.
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt happy ICC is investigating T20 Ajman League
Scoresheet of Abid Ali's historic innings...209*#NationalOneDayCup pic.twitter.com/vbNMTvJovE
— Farhan Nisar (@farhanwrites) February 6, 2018
The previous highest scores in Pakistan List A games were 207 by Mohammad Ali for Customs against DHA in 2005 and an unbeaten 204 by Khalid Latif for Karachi against Quetta in 2009.
It has been an intriguing turnaround in Pakistan’s domestic scene. In 2017, batsmen struggled during the Quaid-e-Azam first-class tournament, with the average first innings score of 235 easily the lowest in the world and only one batsman scoring more than 500 runs at an average of above 50.
However, 2018 has started off on a good note for batsmen, at least in limited-overs cricket.
