Hasan Ali takes maiden five-wicket haul against Bangladesh, credits PCB
Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali marked his return to international cricket with a maiden five-wicket haul in T20 internationals during the first match of the series against Bangladesh at Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
Hasan, whose last T20I outing was in May 2024 against Ireland, had been sidelined due to an elbow injury sustained during his County Championship stint in July last year.
He then made a sensational comeback in the recently concluded HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10, finishing as the joint-second leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets, which earned him a recall to the national squad.
In his first match back, Hasan made an immediate impact by dismissing Bangladesh's openers Parvez Hossain Emon and Tanzid Hasan within his opening overs.
He then took two wickets in his third over, removing wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali and Tanzim Hasan Sakib. He sealed his five-wicket haul by catching Shoriful Islam at long off in his final over.
His performance helped bowl out Bangladesh for 164, securing a 37-run victory for Pakistan in the series opener.
Reflecting on his achievement, Hasan described the five-wicket haul as 'truly special' and credited the team's batting for setting a competitive total.
'The plan was straightforward — I just needed to bowl in the right areas,' he said.
'T20 cricket heavily favours batsmen, so developing pace variations becomes crucial. I'm pleased I could execute my variations effectively when it mattered most.'
Hasan also expressed gratitude to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the medical team for their support during his rehabilitation, calling the process 'boring' but requiring dedication and passion.
'Facing a potentially career-ending injury made me deeply appreciate the PCB and my physio's incredible support,' he added.
The win marked a positive start for newly-appointed Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson, whose instructions to play a modern and aggressive brand of T20 cricket appeared to be embraced by the team.
'Hesson's philosophy was clear — play modern, aggressive T20 cricket. We executed the fundamentals well, and I'm sure he's satisfied with our performance,' Hasan said.
Pakistan will look to build on this momentum in the remainder of the T20I series against Bangladesh.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
10 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Mentors refuse to quit after tourney scrapped
Mentors appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for last year's Champions Cup are refusing to step down despite their roles being declared redundant. While Shoaib Malik has resigned voluntarily, the remaining four — Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Waqar Younis — are holding out, potentially forcing the PCB to pay Rs 20 million in compensation. Details have emerged that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had appointed five mentors for the Champions Cup in August last year. These included Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, and Waqar Younis. From the beginning, their hefty monthly salary of Rs 5 million each had been a topic of debate. Recently, the PCB decided to scrap the Champions Cup due to unsatisfactory results and replace it with the Pentangular Cup. Logically, this also meant the mentors were no longer needed. Sensing the inevitable, Shoaib Malik resigned voluntarily, but the remaining four have maintained silence. Sources say some of them are deliberately waiting to be officially dismissed so they can claim compensationfour months' salary amounting to Rs 20 million as per their contracts. A few days ago, the PCB unofficially conveyed through informal channels that their services were no longer required, expecting they might resign on their own. However, since that hasn't happened, the board may be forced to explore other options. Sources further revealed that during their job interviews, these mentors had claimed they were forgoing lucrative opportunities — coaching gigs, TV shows, commentary, and league contracts — to serve the nation. That emotional pitch helped them secure record-breaking salaries. Ironically, many of them continued with their other engagements despite being appointed by the board. After only a few months of paying hefty salaries, the authorities realized the initiative wasn't yielding the expected benefits. Reportedly, some mentors have even warned the PCB that if removed, they would launch criticism campaigns on media.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Shoaib Akhtar faces legal action from Dr Nauman Niaz over televised remarks
Listen to article Television host and former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official Dr Nauman Niaz has served a defamation notice of Rs1 billion to former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar. The notice follows a televised statement made by the former Pakistani pacer during an appearance on a TV programme on May 25. During the broadcast segment titled The Dug Out, Shoaib stated that Dr Nauman 'used to carry our bags' and that 'he was kept for that purpose.' The remark was circulated on social media and received widespread attention. A legal notice, dated May 29, was issued by Dr Nauman's legal counsel. The document states that the comment was factually incorrect, and that it was intended to harm Dr Nauman's professional standing. The notice demands a public apology and formal retraction within 14 days, failing which legal proceedings will be initiated under the Defamation Ordinance 2002. Dr Nauman has previously held positions within the Pakistan Cricket Board, and has written articles for various national and international publications. The notice states that the comment by Shoaib reduced his professional history to a claim unsupported by evidence. The statement is described in the legal document as part of a broader pattern of conduct that Dr Nauman alleges has continued for the past three years. Shoaib has not issued a response to the notice as of the date of reporting. A previous incident involving Shoaib and Dr Nauman occurred in October 2021, during a live broadcast of PTV (Pakistan Television Corporation) Sports' programme. The panel also featured international cricket personalities including Sir Vivian Richards, David Gower, Sana Mir, and Umar Gul, and was focused on Pakistan's five-wicket win against New Zealand in a T20 World Cup match. READ MORE: Niaz, Akhtar taken off air after on-screen spat During the discussion, Shoaib credited the Pakistan Super League's Lahore Qalandars franchise for discovering fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf. Dr Nauman interrupted the exchange, stating on air that Shoaib was 'being a little rude' and added, 'If you're being over-smart then you can go. I am saying this on air.' Following a commercial break, Shoaib apologised to the other panel members and announced his resignation from PTV Sports, stating that he could not continue due to the manner in which he had been treated on national television. Subsequently, the PTV issued a Rs100 million recovery notice to Shoaib in relation to the incident and his resignation. Shoaib described the move as disappointing and said he would contest the matter legally. Shoaib Akhtar clocked the fastest delivery in cricketing history at 161.3 km/h (100.23 mph) during a 2003 World Cup match versus England - a speed record that stands unbeaten.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Pakistan opt to bat first against Bangladesh in second T20I
Listen to article Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first against Bangladesh in the second T20 International at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on Friday. The hosts made one change to their line-up, bringing in Sahibzada Farhan in place of Fakhar Zaman. Farhan was the leading run-scorer in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL), amassing 449 runs. Pakistan lead the three-match series 1-0 after defeating Bangladesh by 37 runs in the opening T20I on Wednesday. Pakistan XI: Salman Ali Agha (Captain), Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Hassan Ali, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed. Bangladesh XI: Litton Das (Captain & wk), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Tawhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Shamim Hossain Patwary, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam
