Pakistan Cricket Players: Azhar Mehmood

Azhar Mehmood Biography

Source (google.com.pk)

Azhar Mahmood had a successful first season at Canterbury after joining Kent from Surrey.

He famously struck three centuries in his first eight Tests, but despite some streetwise performances for Pakistan, Mahmood fell out of favour by 2001.

Mahmood first played for Surrey for a one-month spell in 2002 and returned as a full-time overseas player for the following three seasons.

His explosive hitting has produced runs when Surrey have needed them and he has often been responsible for helping them to get out of precarious positions.

His line-and-length seam bowling has been particularly useful in English conditions and, combined with his variations in speed, has enabled him to break partnerships when batsmen look well set.

The all-rounder is also a good fielder and a bubbly presence in the dressing room.

He bowled the final over of the match as Surrey snatched a one-run victory over Lancashire in the 2004 Twenty20 Cup semi-finals.

Injury restricted his appearances for Surrey in 2005, as he played in only half of their first class games.

However, he was able to score 204 not out towards the end of the season as the club battled to stave off relegation into Division Two of the Frizzell County Championship.

He also took 26 first class wickets in the season, proving his worth to Surrey as an all-rounder.

His 2006 season saw him make 600 championship runs and take 31 wickets, but it was in the C&G Trophy that he really made his mark topping the bowling averages and averaging 52.5 with the bat.

His performances for Surrey earned him an international recall for Pakistan but he failed to impress and did not get a chance in his team's dismal 2007 World Cup campaign.

He was released by Surrey midway through the 2007 season as they decided to change their personnel and brought in an overseas spinner in Harbhajan Singh in his place.

He signed for Kent in the 2007 winter and played as a British citizen after applying for a UK passport on residency.

Finger and back injuries limited Mahmood to just six first-class outings, but made a thrilling start with 116 against Nottinghamshire in the opening LV County Championship match.

He underlined his enduring class with 5-30 against Sussex at Hove and 6-55 against Yorkshire at Canterbury.

He was more utilised in the limited overs formats, with 35 cheap wickets, though he was less effective in the Spitfires’ two final losses in the Friends Provident Trophy and Twenty20 Cup.

Azhar Mehmood