Asif Ali was a bright spot in the Pakistan cricket team during their disastrous five-match series against England which Sarfaraz Ahmed’s side lost 0-4. He smashed 51 and 52 in the ODIs in Southampton and Bristol and held the middle order together. In the final match, he chipped in with 22 but Pakistan lost the Leeds game by 54 runs. However, the 27-year-old from Faisalabad has been forced to return back home after the death of his two-year-old daughter, Noor Fatima due to cancer. Asif was not selected in the 15-man squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 but before leaving for England, he had tweeted that he was sending his daughter to the US for treatment and asked his fans to pray for her recovery.
“My daughter is fighting the stage IV cancer and we are taking her to the US for her treatment. A big shout out to @usembislamabad and @USCGLahore for issuing the visa to us within an hour. Special thanks to Mike, Elizabeth, Tanveer & @TalhaAisham Bhai. Keep my princess in your Duas!,†Asif Ali tweeted on April 22.
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Asif plays for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League and the club tweeted out a message of condolence for the player. “ISLU family pays its deepest condolences to @AasifAli2018 on the tragic loss of his daughter. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Asif & his family. Asif is a great example of strength and courage. He is an inspiration to us,†the club tweeted.
Asif Ali made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2018 and also his Twenty20 International debut against West Indies in the same year. In 16 ODIs, Asif has scored 342 runs at an average of 31.09 and a strike-rate of 131. The right-hander has also played in 20 Twenty20 Internationals and has a strike-rate of close to 140.
In fact, the world came to know about the Asif’s daughter’s condition during the fourth edition of the Pakistan Super League. Dean Jones, the former Australia cricketer and coach of Islamabad United, broke down in a press conference when he said, “Asif has got a very sick child. Media has to be wary. She is a good kid.†Unable to control his tears, Jones walked off the press conference.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Pakistan lost the five-match ODI series 0-4 to England.
- Asif Ali made his ODI and T20I debut in 2018 for Pakistan.
- Asif Ali plays for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League.
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