Wazir Ali
Syed Wazir Ali (15 September 1903 – 17 June 1950) was an Indian cricketer before World War II. A right-handed batsman and right-arm medium-pace bowler, he was an effective all-rounder and the elder brother of Nazir Ali. His son Khalid Wazir later played for Pakistan.
He played in all of India’s Test matches before the war, appearing in seven Tests between 1932 and 1936. He debuted on 25 June 1932 against England and played his last Test on 15 August 1936 against England. In those seven Tests he scored 237 runs at 16.92 with a top score of 42, and he bowled a bit but did not take a Test wicket.
In first-class cricket, Wazir Ali was more prolific, scoring 7,212 runs at about 38.77 with many big innings. Highlights include an unbeaten 222 in the 1938/39 Ranji Trophy final for Southern Punjab and a 268 not out for Indian University Occasionals in 1935—the highest Indian first-class score at the time (later surpassed).
He toured England with India in 1932 and 1936 and captained India in two unofficial Tests against Australia in 1935/36. He studied at Aligarh Muslim University and began his first-class career at 19 for Muslims against the Sikhs in Lahore. Much of his early cricket was for Muslims in the Bombay Pentangular and for Southern Punjab in the Ranji Trophy.
After Pakistan’s creation, he moved there. He died in Karachi in 1950 at the age of 46 following an operation for appendicitis, reportedly in poverty. His family includes his son Khalid Wazir, who played two Tests for Pakistan in 1954.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:33 (CET).