Kabir Ali
Encyclopedia
Kabir Ali is an English
cricket
er who currently plays for Hampshire
in the English County Championship
. A right-arm seam bowler
and useful lower-order right-handed batsman, outside cricket he works as a model. He is the first cousin of cricketers Kadeer Ali
and Moeen Ali
, both of whom used to play alongside Kabir for Worcestershire (Kadeer now plays for Gloucestershire
).
's Second XI and for the county's Board XI in the 38-County Cup for a couple of years, Kabir Ali made his first-class
debut in a drawn game against Middlesex
in September 1999. He bowled respectably enough, taking 2–36 and 1–22, but the match's lateness in the season robbed him of the chance to push for a regular place in the first team. Despite several appearances in the Benson & Hedges Cup
in April 2000, including an impressive 4–29 on List A debut, Kabir spent most of the first part of that season still in the second team, although by the summer he had pushed his way into the full XI. Also in 2000, Kabir was awarded the NBC Denis Compton Award
for the most promising young Worcestershire player.
. It was thus unsurprising that he was selected to play for England
in 2003, making his One Day International debut against Zimbabwe
that July - although the game was a washout and Kabir had no chance to make an impression.
He was also selected for the Fourth Test
against South Africa at Headingley
in August 2003, taking a wicket in his first over (Neil McKenzie
, caught behind by Alec Stewart
off Kabir's fifth ball). He took five wickets in the match: 3–80 in the first innings and 2–56 in the second, including the key wicket of Gary Kirsten
(for 130 and 60) in both innings. Nonetheless, England were soundly beaten and the selectors rang the changes, bringing in Steve Harmison
and Ashley Giles
for Kabir and James Kirtley
. As of January 2011, that Headingley match remains Kabir's solitary Test appearance, although he has made a number of further appearances at ODI level. His greatest success came against South Africa
in 2004/05, when he took more wickets (13) than any other England bowler, and at Bloemfontein
somehow conjured a tie
from nowhere.
indisposed thanks to a stomach upset, stand-in skipper Marcus Trescothick
took a gamble and entrusted Kabir with the last over.
The first ball was a disaster: a full toss that not only went for four, but was called a no-ball as well, thus conceding an extra run. South Africa still had six balls to reach their target, but now they needed just three runs, and the game looked to be over as a contest. Indeed, it might have been had Kabir's next delivery - also a full toss, to Mark Boucher
- not been hit straight to Ashley Giles
, who took a straightforward catch. The next two balls were far more accurate, and the South Africans could muster only a single. They still needed only two from three balls, however, and remained heavy favourites to win the game.
Next, Kabir produced another accurate ball to new batsman Ashwell Prince
, and a mix-up between the South African batsmen saw Prince run out. Two runs were now needed from two balls. Shaun Pollock
scampered a single from the first of these, to level the scores, but Kabir's final delivery, a yorker wide of off stump, was in just the right place and Andrew Hall
failed to hit it at all. There was still the chance of a bye, but to prevent this England wicket-keeper
Geraint Jones
was standing up to the stumps, and completed the stumping to leave the match tied and Kabir as England's hero.
a few days later, and he put in a magnificent display. After a quiet first innings with the ball, he scored a quickfire 68, putting on 104 with Steve Rhodes
for the eighth wicket to help rescue his team from deep trouble at 190/7, and then ripped through the Derbyshire batting line-up to take 8–53, at the time the best innings analysis of his career. Thanks to Kabir's heroics, Worcestershire won the game by an innings. Kabir further demonstrated his batting credentials in September 2003, hitting 92 from 93 balls in a 45-over National Cricket League match against Essex
, his maiden limited-overs fifty.
The 2004 season began frustratingly for Kabir, as injury prevented him from playing until the end of May. However, some good performances in midsummer brought him a place in the squad for the Champions Trophy
tournament in September, and he retained his place for the winter tour of South Africa (see above). Kabir's performances in early 2005 were unspectacular, but nevertheless he was named in the 14-man squad for that summer's triangular one-day series with Australia
and Bangladesh
. He played in none of the games, however, and was replaced by Matt Prior for the three-game ODI series against Australia which immediately followed.
Kabir was not in England contention during the 2006 season, and for the winter of 2006–07 he turned out for Rajasthan
in the Ranji Trophy
along with team-mate Vikram Solanki
. Worcestershire's 2007 season began poorly, but Kabir claimed a career-best 8–50 in a rain-affected match against Lancashire
in May. These were the best figures at Old Trafford
for 13 years. On 15 August 2009 Hampshire
confirmed they had signed Ali on a 3 year deal, subject to resolving Worcestershires demands for compensation of £60,000. Hampshire were not willing to meet Worcestershire's demands for compensation, making it seem as if Ali would have to honour the remaining year on his Worcestershire contract. In January 2010 Ali's dispute with Worcestershire was intensified, with Ali failing to report for pre-season training.
Ali was released from his contract at Worcestershire on January 21, 2010. It is widely expected that Ali will take up the three year contract he had agreed with Hampshire in 2009. The following day Ali confirmed he had joined Hampshire, signing a three year contract at the Rose Bowl.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who currently plays for Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
in the English County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
. A right-arm seam bowler
Seam bowling
Seam bowling is a phrase used for a bowling technique in cricket whereby the ball is deliberately bowled on to its seam, to cause a random deviation. Practitioners are known as seam bowlers or seamers....
and useful lower-order right-handed batsman, outside cricket he works as a model. He is the first cousin of cricketers Kadeer Ali
Kadeer Ali
Abdul-Kadeer Ali is an English cricketer of Pakistani descent. Kadeer is currently at minor counties side Staffordshire. He has played for Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, as well as appearing for England A. He was capped by Gloucestershire in 2005...
and Moeen Ali
Moeen Ali
Moeen Munir Ali is an English cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and off-spin bowler who played county cricket for Warwickshire before moving to Worcestershire after the 2006 season...
, both of whom used to play alongside Kabir for Worcestershire (Kadeer now plays for Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
).
Early career
After serving his apprenticeship in WorcestershireWorcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
's Second XI and for the county's Board XI in the 38-County Cup for a couple of years, Kabir Ali made his first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
debut in a drawn game against Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
in September 1999. He bowled respectably enough, taking 2–36 and 1–22, but the match's lateness in the season robbed him of the chance to push for a regular place in the first team. Despite several appearances in the Benson & Hedges Cup
Benson & Hedges Cup
The Benson & Hedges Cup was a one-day cricket competition for first-class counties in England and Wales that was held from 1972 to 2002, one of cricket's longest sponsorship deals....
in April 2000, including an impressive 4–29 on List A debut, Kabir spent most of the first part of that season still in the second team, although by the summer he had pushed his way into the full XI. Also in 2000, Kabir was awarded the NBC Denis Compton Award
NBC Denis Compton Award
The NBC Denis Compton Award is an annual award given to 'The Most Promising Young Player' at each of the 18 English first-class counties. A player may receive the award more than once.-History:...
for the most promising young Worcestershire player.
Domestic success and international selection
Over the following few years, Kabir gradually established himself as a hard-working bowler who was dedicated to his craft. His best period to date has been 2002-3; he took 138 first-class wickets in those two English seasons, including eight five-wicket innings hauls. International recognition first came during the 2002-3 winter, when he was invited to tour Australia with the ECB National AcademyECB National Academy
The National Cricket Performance Centre first came into existence in the winter of 2001-2002 and has been based at Loughborough University since 2003. In 2007 following the "Schofield Report" the National Academy was renamed The National Cricket Performance Centre. It consists of a state of the art...
. It was thus unsurprising that he was selected to play for England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
in 2003, making his One Day International debut against Zimbabwe
Zimbabwean cricket team
The Zimbabwean cricket team is a national cricket team representing Zimbabwe. It is administrated by Zimbabwe Cricket...
that July - although the game was a washout and Kabir had no chance to make an impression.
He was also selected for the Fourth Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
against South Africa at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
in August 2003, taking a wicket in his first over (Neil McKenzie
Neil McKenzie
Neil Douglas McKenzie is a South African cricketer. He is a right-handed opening batsman who plays for South Africa, making his first appearance in 2000. Strong on the leg side, he is also a very good player of spin...
, caught behind by Alec Stewart
Alec Stewart
Alec James Stewart OBE is a retired English cricketer, a right-handed batsman-wicketkeeper and former captain of the England cricket team...
off Kabir's fifth ball). He took five wickets in the match: 3–80 in the first innings and 2–56 in the second, including the key wicket of Gary Kirsten
Gary Kirsten
Gary Kirsten is a former South African cricketer, and the World Cup winning coach of the Indian cricket team. He played 101 Test matches and 185 One-day internationals for South Africa between 1993 and 2004, mainly as an opening batsman...
(for 130 and 60) in both innings. Nonetheless, England were soundly beaten and the selectors rang the changes, bringing in Steve Harmison
Steve Harmison
Stephen James Harmison MBE is an English cricketer. Primarily a fast bowler, he represented England in 63 Tests, 58 ODI's, and 2 T20's. He also plays county cricket for Durham....
and Ashley Giles
Ashley Giles
Ashley Fraser Giles MBE is a retired English cricketer. Giles played the entirety of his 14-year first-class career at Warwickshire County Cricket Club where he is now employed as Director of Cricket...
for Kabir and James Kirtley
James Kirtley
Robert James Kirtley is a former English Test cricketer, who was born on the 10 January 1975 in Eastbourne in the county of Sussex. He is a right arm fast to medium bowler and a right hand batsman. After prep school at St.Andrews School, Eastbourne, he was educated at Clifton College.-First ODI:His...
. As of January 2011, that Headingley match remains Kabir's solitary Test appearance, although he has made a number of further appearances at ODI level. His greatest success came against South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
in 2004/05, when he took more wickets (13) than any other England bowler, and at Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
somehow conjured a tie
The result in cricket
The result in a game of cricket may be a win for one of the two teams playing, a draw or a tie. In the case of a limited overs game, the game can also end with no result...
from nowhere.
The final over at Bloemfontein
Kabir had bowled rather poorly throughout the match, and had seen his seven overs disappear for 49 runs, the last alone costing 13. At the end of the penultimate over, South Africa were 263/5, needing just eight runs to win. Nevertheless, with captain Michael VaughanMichael Vaughan
Michael Paul Vaughan OBE is a retired cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England. A classically elegant right-handed batsman and occasional off-spinner, Vaughan was ranked one of the best batsmen in the world following the 2002/3 Ashes, in which he scored 633 runs, including three centuries...
indisposed thanks to a stomach upset, stand-in skipper Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Edward Trescothick MBE is an English cricketer. He plays first-class cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club, and represented England in 76 Test matches and 123 One Day Internationals. A left-handed opening batsman, he made his first-class debut for Somerset in 1993 and quickly established...
took a gamble and entrusted Kabir with the last over.
The first ball was a disaster: a full toss that not only went for four, but was called a no-ball as well, thus conceding an extra run. South Africa still had six balls to reach their target, but now they needed just three runs, and the game looked to be over as a contest. Indeed, it might have been had Kabir's next delivery - also a full toss, to Mark Boucher
Mark Boucher
Mark Verdon Boucher is a South African cricketer, who holds the record for the most Test dismissals by a wicket-keeper. He was educated at Selborne College and has represented Border, Africa XI, ICC World XI, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders of the Indian Premier League, and...
- not been hit straight to Ashley Giles
Ashley Giles
Ashley Fraser Giles MBE is a retired English cricketer. Giles played the entirety of his 14-year first-class career at Warwickshire County Cricket Club where he is now employed as Director of Cricket...
, who took a straightforward catch. The next two balls were far more accurate, and the South Africans could muster only a single. They still needed only two from three balls, however, and remained heavy favourites to win the game.
Next, Kabir produced another accurate ball to new batsman Ashwell Prince
Ashwell Prince
Ashwell Gavin Prince is a cricketer who plays Test and One Day International cricket for South Africa. A left-handed middle order batsman, he has a high-batted stance and is strong through the offside. He is noted for his gritty style of batting and also for being an athletic fielder in the covers...
, and a mix-up between the South African batsmen saw Prince run out. Two runs were now needed from two balls. Shaun Pollock
Shaun Pollock
Shaun Maclean Pollock is a retired South African cricketer who is considered a bowling all-rounder. From 2000 to 2003 he was the captain of the South African cricket team, and also played for Africa XI, World XI, Dolphins and Warwickshire. He was also chosen as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in...
scampered a single from the first of these, to level the scores, but Kabir's final delivery, a yorker wide of off stump, was in just the right place and Andrew Hall
Andrew Hall
Andrew James Hall is a South African cricketer and a former member of the South African cricket team . He is an all-rounder who bowls fast-medium pace, and has been used as both an opening batsman and in the lower order. Prior to making it on the South African first class cricket scene he played...
failed to hit it at all. There was still the chance of a bye, but to prevent this England wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
Geraint Jones
Geraint Jones
Geraint Owen Jones MBE is an England cricketer of Welsh extraction but raised in Australia. Until August 2006 he was the first-choice wicketkeeper for England in both Test and One-day cricket, but fell behind Chris Read, Paul Nixon, Matt Prior and Tim Ambrose...
was standing up to the stumps, and completed the stumping to leave the match tied and Kabir as England's hero.
Domestic career
Kabir first came to national prominence when he took a second-innings 5–48 (and eight wickets in the match) against the touring Zimbabwe side in May 2003; in a pre-cursor to his final-over heroics at Bloemfontein, Kabir claimed the final two wickets with the scores level to tie the match. Kabir's life was touched by tragedy in July 2003, when his two-week-old nephew died. However, his father wished him to play for Worcestershire against DerbyshireDerbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
a few days later, and he put in a magnificent display. After a quiet first innings with the ball, he scored a quickfire 68, putting on 104 with Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes is a former English cricketer. He was best known as a wicket-keeper, but was also a useful number six or seven batsman, making twelve first-class centuries....
for the eighth wicket to help rescue his team from deep trouble at 190/7, and then ripped through the Derbyshire batting line-up to take 8–53, at the time the best innings analysis of his career. Thanks to Kabir's heroics, Worcestershire won the game by an innings. Kabir further demonstrated his batting credentials in September 2003, hitting 92 from 93 balls in a 45-over National Cricket League match against Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
, his maiden limited-overs fifty.
The 2004 season began frustratingly for Kabir, as injury prevented him from playing until the end of May. However, some good performances in midsummer brought him a place in the squad for the Champions Trophy
ICC Champions Trophy
The ICC Champions Trophy is a One Day International cricket tournament, second in importance only to the Cricket World Cup. It was inaugurated as the ICC Knock Out tournament in 1998 and has been played every two years since, changing its name to the Champions Trophy in 2002...
tournament in September, and he retained his place for the winter tour of South Africa (see above). Kabir's performances in early 2005 were unspectacular, but nevertheless he was named in the 14-man squad for that summer's triangular one-day series with Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
and Bangladesh
Bangladeshi cricket team
The Bangladesh national cricket team is a national cricket team representing Bangladesh. The team is administered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board . Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status...
. He played in none of the games, however, and was replaced by Matt Prior for the three-game ODI series against Australia which immediately followed.
Kabir was not in England contention during the 2006 season, and for the winter of 2006–07 he turned out for Rajasthan
Rajasthan cricket team
The Rajasthan cricket team is a domestic cricket team based in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Team emerged as the champion of the Ranji Trophy in 2011, after finishing runners-up eight times . It is currently in the Ranji Trophy elite group."Rajasthan cricket team" is also popularly known as...
in the Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
along with team-mate Vikram Solanki
Vikram Solanki
Vikram Singh Solanki is an Indian-born English cricketer, who plays county cricket for Worcestershire. In 2007, he became the 24th Worcestershire batsman to pass 10,000 career runs for the county. He also captained Worcestershire from 2005 to 2010, before resigning mid-season...
. Worcestershire's 2007 season began poorly, but Kabir claimed a career-best 8–50 in a rain-affected match against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
in May. These were the best figures at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (cricket)
Old Trafford is a cricket ground situated on Talbot Road in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. It has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since its foundation in 1864, having been the ground of Manchester Cricket Club from 1857...
for 13 years. On 15 August 2009 Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
confirmed they had signed Ali on a 3 year deal, subject to resolving Worcestershires demands for compensation of £60,000. Hampshire were not willing to meet Worcestershire's demands for compensation, making it seem as if Ali would have to honour the remaining year on his Worcestershire contract. In January 2010 Ali's dispute with Worcestershire was intensified, with Ali failing to report for pre-season training.
Ali was released from his contract at Worcestershire on January 21, 2010. It is widely expected that Ali will take up the three year contract he had agreed with Hampshire in 2009. The following day Ali confirmed he had joined Hampshire, signing a three year contract at the Rose Bowl.