KARACHI: Former Pakistan Cricket Team captain Azhar Ali may have bowed out on Monday after he was dismissed for a duck in what was his last ever Test match innings against England Monday. He thus joined an unwanted club where captains ended their careers on the lowest low, a duck. Azhar Ali was hoping to add stability to the Pakistani side and perhaps one last hurrah before bowing out of international cricket. But his last innings did not go according to plan after Jack Leach snuck through his defenses and bowled him for zero. The former middle-order batsman, though, did get a sendoff in the form of a guard of honor from his team-mates. But drowned out in the sound of claps and the shadow of raised bats was the fact that he joined an unwanted club of former captains of Pakistan who were dismissed for a duck in their final match.
Lets take a look at who else is in the list: Majid Khan: Imran Khan’s cousin and a former captain of Pakistan Cricket Team in the 1970s, Majid Khan played his last test match against India in January 1983, in Lahore. Kapil Dev, who later lifted the World Cup as India’s captain that year, made sure that Majid Khan’s last match was a forgettable one after he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings. Rain did not afford Pakistan and Majid Khan an opportunity to bat again. Hence, Majid Khan’s last test match ended without him padding up for his second innings and he carried the duck as his last score.
Aamer Sohail: Opening batter Aamer Sohail had captained Pakistan in the late 1990s. He finally hung up his cap after playing last test match against Sri Lanka in Peshawar in March 2000. Pakistan were chasing a target of 294 runs in the fourth innings and were looking to save the series. Aamer Sohail was going to be key if Pakistan were to win. But all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya had other ideas and picked up Sohail’s scalp for a duck. Muhammad Yousaf: Muhammad Yousaf did well in Aamer Sohail’s last test match. But who knew he would go on to emulate the flamboyant left-handed opener and get dismissed for a duck in his last Test match.