After a long time, Hasan Ali returned to Pakistan’s jersey and took 5 wickets against Bangladesh. Watching his bowling, captain Salman Ali Agha is reminded of Hasan’s outstanding performance back in 2017.
Wearing the green jersey with a white blazer, draped in the Pakistan flag, and running around holding a trophy—this image of Hasan Ali is what many still remember. Nearly eight years have passed since then. He has played many matches since, but the 2017 Champions Trophy remains the highlight of his career. In that final, he took three wickets and was named Man of the Tournament for his brilliant bowling throughout the event.
It wasn’t just that tournament—Hasan’s entire 2017 was remarkable. He established himself as one of the world’s top limited-overs pacers that year. But since then, he hadn’t been able to reproduce that form consistently. However, watching his performance in this year’s PSL and in the first T20 match against Bangladesh, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha feels like the 2017 version of Hasan Ali has returned!
Hasan took 17 wickets in this year’s PSL, the second-highest in the tournament, which earned him a comeback to the national team after a year. In his return match against Bangladesh, he claimed 5 wickets for just 30 runs.
He is only the second Pakistani pacer to take 5 wickets in an international T20 match, after Umar Gul, who achieved this feat twice—in 2009 and 2013. Hasan ended a 12-year wait for Pakistan in this regard.
After the match against Bangladesh, Salman said, watching Hasan bowl was like seeing the sharp and deadly bowler from the past. He also praised the relentless effort of the 30-year-old pacer in regaining his rhythm.
“Everyone is saying the 2017 Hasan Ali is back. And he really has come back strongly. I’ve seen him work hard at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He used to come twice a day. Even during Ramadan, he would practice until 11 or 12 at night after breaking his fast.”
“He’s now reaping the rewards of that hard work. He bowled well in the PSL, and today’s bowling was outstanding. He really has made a comeback.”
Back in 2017, Hasan took 45 wickets in just 18 ODIs, including three five-wicket hauls. That 22-year-old young talent is now a 30-year-old player enriched with experience. His career has had ups and downs in between. At one time, he was indispensable across all three formats. But injuries and loss of form gradually made him less regular, and at times he was out of the team for long spells. He has come and gone from various formats over the years.
Now, Hasan has returned to Pakistan’s jersey after a year. Besides form issues, he has also battled injuries recently. On top of that, the painful and tedious rehabilitation process was tough. After taking 5 wickets against Bangladesh, Hasan shared the story of his fight to come back:
“It’s a frustrating process. Rehabilitation is a long and annoying process. It requires dedication, motivation, and mental strength. I had all those in mind. Patience is a must. Combining all these, I was able to do it.”
“It was a career-threatening injury. I am grateful to PCB, the physiotherapists, and everyone who worked day and night. Because of them, I am standing here today.”
In the match against Bangladesh, Hasan bowled some fantastic slow balls and cutters, while also deceiving batsmen with quick short deliveries. He explained that using variation effectively was his plan.
“T20 cricket is now at a stage where batsmen have the upper hand—they like pace and balls coming onto the bat. So when I have this variety, it’s important to apply it correctly. That’s what I tried in the PSL too. I aimed to keep the plans simple and execute them at the right moments. That’s how I found success.”
