Haider Ali

Haider Ali was born on October 2, 2000, in Attock, Punjab, Pakistan. Raised in a family with deep traditional roots in horse riding and tent-pegging, he broke from convention to pursue cricket, starting with tape-ball matches in 2015 before making his way to club level and formal domestic structures. A right-handed top-order batter known for his clean, authoritative strokeplay and classic drives, he quickly emerged as one of the most promising young talents in the country.

His domestic breakthrough came during the 2019-20 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he scored 99 on his First-Class debut for Northern. He followed it up with a stellar debut season in the 2020 Pakistan Super League (PSL) for Peshawar Zalmi, amassing 239 runs in nine matches and becoming the youngest batter to score a PSL half-century at the time. Soon after representing Pakistan in the 2020 ICC U-19 World Cup as vice-captain, he received his maiden national call-up for the tour of England in mid-2020.

Haider made a memorable T20I debut against England in September 2020, scoring a fluent 54 and becoming the first Pakistani batter to score a half-century on T20I debut. He made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe shortly after in November 2020.

Despite early success, maintaining consistency at the international level proved challenging over subsequent years. After featuring across various T20I series and the 2022 T20 World Cup, he found himself out of the central national squad setup by late 2023.

Haider redirected his focus to domestic, county, and global franchise circuits, representing teams like Derbyshire in county cricket, Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL, and switching to Islamabad United in the PSL. In early 2026, he featured prominently in the 2025-26 Bangladesh Premier League after being signed by Noakhali Express. During the 2026 Pakistan Super League campaign for Islamabad United, he played as a middle-to-lower-order hitter, delivering swift finishings, including a notable 31 off 16 balls against the Hyderabad Kingsmen.

Haider received a call-up back to the national setup when he was named in Pakistan's 15-member men's squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Following his selection, he showcased strong form in Pakistan's domestic List A National Champions Cup in August 2026 representing Pakistan Gold. He registered top performances in the tournament, including a match-winning 69 off 47 balls against Pakistan Whites and a steady 44 off 53 balls against Pakistan Blues, reaffirming his ability as an impactful middle-order run-scorer heading into the Games.