▁P un j abi . ▁He ▁became ▁known ▁fond ly ▁as ▁‘ the ▁be ard ▁that ' s ▁fe ared ’ ▁at ▁New ▁Road . ▁Ali ' s ▁father ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁tax i ▁driver , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁psych iat ric ▁nur se . ▁He ▁grew ▁up ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁street ▁as ▁fellow ▁cr ick eters ▁Kab ir ▁Ali ▁( his ▁first ▁cousin ), ▁Na q ash ▁T ah ir , ▁and ▁R await ▁Khan . ▁His ▁brothers ▁K ade er ▁and ▁O mar ▁are ▁also ▁cr ick eters . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁War wick shire ▁Ali ▁signed ▁for ▁War wick shire ▁aged ▁just ▁ 1 5 , ▁hitting ▁a ▁half - century ▁for ▁the ▁county ' s ▁Second ▁XI ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁before ▁his ▁ 1 6 th ▁birth day . ▁After ▁more ▁games ▁at ▁this ▁level ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁and ▁a ▁first ▁out ing ▁for ▁England ▁Under - 1 9 s ▁against ▁their ▁Bang l ades hi ▁counter parts ▁he ▁spent ▁the ▁succeed ing ▁winter ▁playing ▁for ▁the ▁Under - 1 9 s ▁on ▁their ▁tour ▁of ▁India . ▁▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁saw ▁Ali ▁make ▁his ▁first - class ▁debut , ▁against ▁Cambridge ▁University ▁in ▁May . ▁He ▁im pressed ▁with ▁the ▁bat , ▁making ▁ 5 7 ▁not ▁out ▁in ▁his ▁only ▁inn ings , ▁and ▁sent ▁down ▁two ▁o vers ▁for ▁ 1 5 ▁runs . ▁Play ing ▁that ▁summer ▁against ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁Under - 1 9 s , ▁he