A heartbreaking backstory surrounds Asif Ali. He will carry the pain of losing his daughter throughout his lifetime, and playing cricket will never ease the pain. Ali’s daughter Dua Fatima succumbed to stage 4 cancer two years ago, before the 50-over World Cup. Sadly, she was just 19 months old.
Ali joined the Pakistan squad in England the day after her funeral.Â
The mainstream and social media criticized Ali’s performance for their insensitivity. With his PSL franchise Islamabad United at his side, Ali went through the most brutal fight of his life, which ended in heartbreak.
During the post-game press conference after Pakistan’s victory over Afghanistan on Friday, he explained how he wasn’t a social media nerd and how he tried to hide years of pain.
The tense chase was ended by a seven-ball 25, which included four sixes.
A cryptic tweet followed. “Aur koi hukam Pakistan? Shukriya @isbunited aur woh sub log jinho ne mere per belief rakha mere mushkil waqt mai. (Any more command Pakistan? Thank you, Islamabad United and the people who kept faith in me in tough times).
Ben Stokes posted a congratulatory message shortly after that. The post began, “Remember the name @AasifAli2018”.
Mudassar Nazar, Pakistan’s former director of the National Cricket Academy, praised Ali’s resolve and fought through the pain. Mudassar said that the situation was difficult, but Ali managed to overcome it. Using a touch of sarcasm, he addressed the media criticism issue.
“There’s no point in talking about the media, mainly because the media in Pakistan will rag on you if you don’t get runs or wickets. Be prepared for much criticism.
Several years ago, he was starting with the Pakistan team when he lost his daughter. The loss of his daughter affected him deeply.
The competition was going at a number that always gave him the task of chasing 12 runs-an-over, and his form suffered a little bit. Batting in this position is impossible.”
THE LOCAL PRESS CALLED ALI AN ‘ENIGMA’
The biggest concern going into the ongoing T20 World Cup was Pakistan’s fragile middle order. Local press has called Ali an “enigma,” someone who excelled at domestic cricket but failed at international.
After Pakistan lost to Zimbabwe early in the year, several people questioned his ability; The series against South Africa exposed his inability to play short.
During that period, pacers started bowling short at him, and he did not cope very well. The short ball over mid-wicket was impossible for him in white-ball cricket.
To get into a good position, he worked on his straightforward ball technique. Nazar reacted by observing, “He returned to the drawing board and sorted himself out”.
Ali spoke about his injury in June this year after 75 run innings against Lahore Qalandars for Islamabad United.”
The only team that trusts and supports my batting is Islamabad United. They may think I’m only a player who bats for four overs, but that is not the case. When the opportunity presents itself, like today, I will seize it”, he said.
TWEETS AND POSTS
The birthday of his daughter, my angel, was May 25, 2019. On Twitter, he wrote: “My daughter returned to Allah last night.”
During a press conference, former Islamabad United coach Dean Jones broke down while talking about Ali’s daughter.
In his social media post on the death of former Australia batsman, Rehan-ul-Haq described how Jones supported Ali through thick and thin in the face of crisis.
“It’s not something I usually do, but I thought people should know how #DeanJones was off the field. Dean Jones was compassionate beyond measure.
The guy sent me this when Asif was struggling. He believed in him and Asif delivered that season”, he shared a screenshot of Jones saying he wanted to raise money for Ali and his family on Twitter.
At the ongoing T20 World Cup, Ali has hit seven sixes off 19 balls, making an impact against Afghanistan and New Zealand and helping his side win under pressure.
On Friday night, PSL tweeted after Asif Ali hit four sixes off Karim Janat. If you have ever doubted Asif Ali’s abilities, please reply below.
The Player’s statement at the post-match press conference oozed self-confidence, sometimes misconstrued in the subcontinent as arrogance. “I don’t pay attention to criticism. My social media presence is nonexistent. I’m very far away from social media,” he said.
Pakistan required him to take part in the showpiece event. “In my role, I came into and left the team at different times, and it was Pakistan that needed me.
Playing in leagues around the world and domestic cricket also kept me in touch with my game. I was only selected because I performed well.”
He sometimes got into trouble because of a certain brusqueness.
During a Caribbean Premier League match, he swatted his bat inches from Kemo Paul’s face not very long ago. While playing with emptiness in his heart, he has changed from a brat to a match-winner.
