Amjad Ali

Another of UAE's Pakistani imports, Amjad Ali is a left-handed opener from Lahore with an extravagant, Lara-esque backlift and a reputation for shot-playing. He made his first-class debut for Lahore Blues in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in 2002, being captained by Saleem Elahi and playing alongside Imran Farhat, but struggled to force his way into a regular top-order slot and soon drifted away from top-level cricket in Pakistan.

A job with Abu Dhabi International Airport Duty Free brought him to UAE in 2004 and in 2008, after completing a four-year qualification period, he returned to action as a first-class cricketer for his adopted country. Later that year, he revisited Lahore as an international cricketer, making his ODI debut against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup and proudly walking out to bat in front of his family and many old friends. In October 2014 he cracked an unbeaten century to set up a 20-run win over Pakistan A in Dubai, and UAE's match against Pakistan at the 2015 World Cup will mark an emotional milestone in his career. Though he was also a fine wicketkeeper in his youth, Ali has since given up the gloves to Swapnil Patil in the full UAE side.
Liam Brickhill