Derbyshire sign Pakistan's Haider Ali for 2023 season

Ali, an exciting young prospect at just 22 years old, has played 35 matches for his country, including two appearances at the recent ICC Twenty20 World Cup, where Pakistan finished as runners-up.

In 33 International T20 appearances, Ali has scored 499 runs, including three half-centuries, one of which came against England at Emirates Old Trafford in 2020.

While it's his white-ball exploits that have earned Ali international recognition so far, he has already shown considerable ability in the red-ball arena, averaging 54.33 in 11 appearances, with three centuries and four half-centuries to his name.

Ali will be available for Derbyshire in all formats during the 2023 season, subject to international commitments, with the powerful right-hander joining Sri Lankan fast bowler, Suranga Lakmal, as an overseas player.

Head of Cricket, Mickey Arthur, said, "Haider is an immensely talented young player who already has a wealth of international experience, which will be key for us in all formats. I spoke with him at the T20 World Cup, and again during the Lanka Premier League, and he's so hungry to come to England and prove himself in all formats, that's exactly the attitude we want in our dressing room. Of course, he still has a lot of developing to do, but I've outlined what I expect from him and I have no doubt Haider will succeed in county cricket."

The 22-year-old underlined the advantage of playing in County Cricket, which will help him improve his batting.

"I've seen over the last few years how many Pakistan players have improved their game by playing at a high standard in county cricket, and that's something I think could really help my development. Mickey Arthur is such a respected figure in world cricket and he's still so highly-regarded within the Pakistan setup, so the opportunity to learn from him is one I'm so excited about," expressed Ali as quoted by the Derbyshire website.

"I want to help Derbyshire win games in all formats, there are a lot of good players here and Mickey wants to achieve something big with this Club. Hopefully, I can contribute a lot of runs in 2023 and entertain the Derbyshire crowd," concluded the batter. (ANI)