Noman Ali

Noman Ali is a perfectly adequate cricketer most of the time, and then thoroughly indispensable for a sliver of the year. A left-arm slow bowler whose stock in trade is accuracy and the occasional ball that turns, Noman spent much of his career toiling away in the unfashionable crannies of Pakistan's domestic cricket for his region, Hyderabad, and his department, Khan Research Laboratories.

That career was catapulted into the spotlight by a mix of factors that had contrived to keep him out of Pakistan's Test side. Test cricket returned to Pakistan from the UAE around the time Yasir Shah's star began to fade, and amid a dearth of fingerspin options, a 34-year-old Noman was called up to make his debut in Karachi against South Africa in 2021. He made an instant impact, taking the first of several five-wicket hauls.

But Pakistan, conscious of his limited ceiling, used him almost exclusively in the subcontinent, with his output and effectiveness variable. Useful for holding an end up but less than dynamic, Noman is more of a utility team player than the spinner a bowling attack is built around. His dogged determination in the lower order further adds to his austere and selfless reputation.

It's his bowling partnership with offspinner Sajid Khan that he's best known for. When Pakistan pivoted to producing extremely spin-friendly surfaces in 2024, the duo were the biggest beneficiaries, becoming the beating heart of Pakistan's Test side. Since that change, they took 70 wickets in four Tests, Noman accounting for 36 of them, figures that may look less flattering than his overall versatility and quality may suggest.