Tag: Hasan Ali

Pakistan pace bowler Hasan Ali has responded to Babar Azam stepping down as the national white-ball captain.

Babar announced his decision on Tuesday night through social media, citing heavy workload and his intention to focus more on batting.

“Dear Fans, I’m sharing some news with you today. I have decided to resign as captain of the Pakistan men’s cricket team, effective as of my notification to the PCB and Team Management last month,” stated Babar Azam in a statement on his social media platforms.

“It’s been an honour to lead this team, but it’s time for me to step down and focus on my playing role,” he added.

Hasan Ali shared a heartfelt message on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, expressing his deep respect for playing under the leadership of Babar Azam.

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He affectionately referred to Babar as the ‘king‘ and extended his well-wishes to the star batter for the next phase of his journey.

“It’s been a pleasure and honoured playing under your captaincy! So many great memories and victories together. Looking forward to seeing you shine in the next chapter King. All the best. And stay blessed,” Hasan Ali posted.

Remember, this was Babar Azam’s second reign as Pakistan captain. His first tenure ended in November 2023 following Pakistan’s dismal run at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.

The star batter relinquished all-format captaincy but was reinstated as white-ball captain in March this year.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan ‘strongest candidate’ to replace Babar Azam as Pakistan captain

Pakistan’s injured fast bowler Hasan Ali has shared that his county team, Warwickshire County Cricket Club, has assumed responsibility for his rehabilitation and treatment.

The right-arm pacer is currently nursing an elbow injury, which he suffered in July during his county stint in England.

He could only play a mere three first-class and five T20 matches for Warwickshire due to the injury. He is scheduled to undergo full treatment for his elbow injury.

Hasan Ali returned to Pakistan and reached out to his national cricket board for treatment. However, the board advised him to seek treatment at Warwickshire.

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According to sources, the board stated that the county side should bear the responsibility for Hasan Ali’s treatment, as he sustained the injury during county cricket.

The 30-year-old fast bowler is set to travel to England for medical treatment. Warwickshire will be managing all arrangements and ensuring his complete treatment under their supervision.

Hasan Ali’s contract was renewed ahead of the 2024 season after playing for Warwickshire and Birmingham Bears last year.

Hasan Ali took 33 wickets across formats in his first season at Warwickshire last year.

Prior to that, he represented Lancashire in the previous edition of the County Championship and took 25 wickets at 20.60 in his debut season.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel put Pakistan in dominant position

Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali is unlikely to take part in the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home next month due to an injury, according to sources.

The first Test of the two-match series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is scheduled to be played from 21 to 25 August in Rawalpindi, while the second match will be played from August 30 to September 3 in Karachi.

The right-arm pacer is currently nursing an elbow injury, which he suffered during his stint with English county side Warwickshire.

He could only play a mere three first-class and five T20 matches for Warwickshire due to the injury. He is scheduled to undergo full treatment for his elbow injury.

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Hasan Ali was part of Pakistan’s last Test squad during the away series against Australia. He played two Tests in the three-match series and took only two wickets.

Overall, the 30-year-old bowler has taken 80 wickets in 24 Test matches since his debut in 2017.

It is pertinent to mention that the two-match series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is part of the ICC Test Championship 2023-2025.

Pakistan and Bangladesh have squared off in 13 matches since their first meeting in Test cricket during the Asian Test Championship in 2001.

The Green Shirts boast an undefeated record against Bangladesh, securing 12 victories out of 13 games, while one match ended in a draw.

READ: Haseebullah firm as Pakistan Shaheens chase 296 against Bangladesh A

Pakistan’s right-arm pacer Hasan Ali responded to Mohammad Hafeez’s claims regarding the national players sleeping in the dressing amid the away Test series against Australia.

Hafeez, who served as Pakistan men’s cricket team Director from November 2023 to February 2024 and also as the interim head coach, lambasted the national players after Pakistan’s group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup 2024 and highlighted that they lack discipline.

In a conversation with renowned cricketing figures, England’s Michael Vaughan and Australia’s Adam Gilchrist, Hafeez claimed that the players used to sleep in the dressing room during Test matches.

“You tell me, Gilly [Gilchrist] if a player is sleeping in the dressing room while we’re playing Test cricket. 4-5 players are sleeping in the dressing room. Should I allow that as a team director?” Hafeez questioned.

Vaughan wittily asked, “Are they tired?” to which Hafeez continued with a serious tone, “I really don’t know. I went into the dressing room and found 4-5 players sleeping while playing Test cricket. I was like, ‘How come you guys can do that?’ If you do something like this, you cannot be a part of this team.”

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Meanwhile, Hasan Ali, in an interview denied Mohammad Hafeez’s claims before going on to share that the previous management had allowed players, especially fast bowlers, to take naps if needed to recover.

“I don’t know, actually, but it should be the way Hafeez said. I don’t think anyone slept in the dressing room after that. When Hafeez said that I was not part of the first game, all the players who were not part of the playing XI were sitting in the dugout watching the game. Even the management was sitting there. But I would say especially for the fast bowlers, when you bowl for one and a half days you need to recover, and you could take a 20-30 minute nap, but for those who feel like they need,” Hasan said.

“In the past, the management set the rule that if someone needed a nap for recovery, especially the fast bowlers, they could do that. But if Hafeez, as the head coach and director of Cricket, said no one was going to sleep, then fair enough. If he set the rule, we had to follow it,” he added.

READ: Shoaib Malik backs THIS batter as Pakistan’s next white-ball captainhttps://a-sports.tv/shoaib-malik-fakhar-zaman-pakistan-captain/

Pakistan white-ball captain and ace batter Babar Azam penned a wholesome note to pay tribute to exceptional pacer James Anderson, who concluded his glittering Test career on Friday.

Anderson, playing his 188th and last Test for England, bowed out with 704 wickets, the most by any pacer in the history of the format.

“It’s been an amazing week, been overwhelmed with the reaction of the crowd and everyone around the ground,” Anderson told Sky Sports.

“I’m just proud of what I’ve achieved,” he added.

The right-arm pacer, who has a plethora of records to his name in the longest format of the game, received massive praise from the notable figures of the sport.

Among them was Pakistan captain Babar Azam, who said it was a privilege to face James Anderson’s cutters and called him the Greatest of All Time (GOAT).

“It was a privilege to face your swing, Jimmy!” wrote Babar on X, formerly Twitter.

“The beautiful game will now miss one of its greatest. Your incredible service to the sport has been nothing short of remarkable. Huge respect for you, GOAT,” he concluded with a salute emoji.

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Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi also spoke highly of James Anderson and called the 41-year-old a motivation for the emerging pacers.

“Thank you for serving this sport for over 21 years James,” wrote Shaheen.

“You have been a source of motivation to many of us. Best of luck for your journey ahead,” he added.

Another Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali, who played alongside James Anderson for Lancashire in the County Championship, congratulated the veteran on an incredible journey.

“Huge respect to [James Anderson] on an amazing test career. You were a beast on the pitch, always keeping the batters on their toes, 704 wickets is insane. Congrats on an incredible journey bhai. You’ll be missed,” wrote Hasan.

READ: Anderson gets dream farewell as England rout West Indies in Lord’s Test

Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali has recently expressed his admiration for the national white-ball captain, Babar Azam, affirming his previous accolades by referring to the batter as “the king.”

During an interview with a local news outlet, the 30-year-old fast bowler shared his reaction to being left out of Pakistan’s squad for the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

“Obviously, I wanted to play, and I wanted to perform and play. [But] I don’t want to play without performance, and it’s neither in my nature nor do I want to play that kind of cricket, and I never have,” Hasan Ali stated.

“So I don’t regret it because the management had already told me that I was Haris Rauf’s replacement only for the Ireland and England tours. So when Haris gets fit, you will automatically be out.”

He then heaped high praise on Babar Azam, hailing him as ‘the king of Pakistan’s batting lineup,’ dismissing recent criticism following the Green Shirts’ early exit from the T20 World Cup.

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“He is the king of Pakistan’s batting lineup, and he should improve. I should improve; everyone should improve. And you can see that he has also improved. It’s not like he hasn’t done it,” Ali added.

“Wherever he has performed in batting, I don’t think he has given a bad performance anywhere, except in India in the recent World Cup, where he didn’t score a century.

“We used to hear about the Fab Four, which are these four players (Virat Kohli, Kane  Williamson, Steve Smith, and Joe Root). Because of Babar Azam, it became the Fab Five, as Babar is the fifth player in the Fab Five.”

He then jokingly reiterated his famous remark ‘King karlega’ which went viral in September last year, stating that Azam will keep getting better.

“And he’s the King. I still stand by my statement, and I hope he will get even better. And yes, (King krlega) King will achieve it,” he concluded.

READ: India unwilling to visit Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025: reports

The apex body of football FIFA has recently imitated Pakistan pace bowler Hasan Ali in an Instagram post while appreciating England winger Bukayo Saka on Sunday.

FIFA posted a picture of Bukayo Saka on their Instagram with the caption ‘Saka karlega’ after the winger scored an 80th-minute goal to level the scores in the Euro Cup quarter-final against Switzerland.

Switzerland’s Breel Embolo scored the first goal of the match in the 75th minute, however, Saka scored the equalizer only five minutes later.

England went on to win the match on penalties 5-3. They will face the Netherlands in the semi-finals on July 11.

FIFA’s Instagram post imitated Hasan Ali’s infamous ‘King karlega‘ comment which he made during an appearance at a local podcast last year.

Hasan Ali during the conversation praised Babar Azam highly and revealed that the Pakistan players refer to Babar as ‘King’ in the dressing room.

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“Hum usko Babar nahi King kehte hain… Yaar King karlega,” the fast bowler said.

Hasan’s remarks caught the attention of cricket fans with some seeing the funny side of it and thus turning it into a meme.

For the unversed, Hasan Ali is currently in England to participate in the ongoing County Championship League for Warwickshire County Cricket Club.

It’s worth noting that FIFA’s Instagram was targeted at Pakistan’s audience only, hence it is only visible in Pakistan.

READ: Sanath Jayasuriya to take charge as the head coach of Sri Lanka

LEEDS: Fast bowler Hasan Ali has been released from the Pakistan squad ahead of the first T20I against England on Wednesday.

Pakistan’s team management has decided to release Hasan Ali to continue his commitments in county cricket with Warwickshire County Cricket Club.

He was selected in the Pakistan squad for the Ireland and England series as an injury cover for fast bowler Haris Rauf, who was nursing a shoulder injury.

Notably, Pakistan’s white-ball skipper Babar Azam provided an update regarding Rauf’s fitness yesterday and revealed that the right-arm speedster is completely fit.

“We’ve received clearance for Haris Rauf. He’s available for this series. So, by the will of Almighty Allah, he will surely be seen in action in the series.”

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Rauf did not play any part during the Ireland series owing to his nursing injury, while Ali featured in one game.

Pakistan defeated Ireland 2-1 in the three-match T20I series before reaching England to play the four-match series against the defending T20 World champions.

The T20I series between Pakistan and England, scheduled to run from May 22 to 30, will serve as a warm-up for both teams heading into the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 as the previous edition’s finalists will skip the warm-up matches for this year’s mega event.

Pakistan squad:

Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Khan.

England squad:

Jos Buttler (c), Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Tom Hartley, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Reece Topley.

Pak vs Eng T20I series schedule:

1st T20I: Wed, May 22nd
2nd T20I: Sat, May 25th
3rd T20I: Tue, May 28th
4th T20I: Thu, May 30th

READ: Arshad Nadeem resumes training for Paris Olympics

LAHORE: Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam on Monday opened up about the selection of pace bowler Hasan Ali in the national squad for the upcoming series against Ireland and England.

During the team’s pre-departure press conference, Azam responded to the criticism over the pacer’s inclusion in the team and defended the decision, stating that Hasan Ali was only selected as a backup for Haris Rauf.

“I have been hearing for quite some time that why is he [Hassan Ali] back? Selectors have also made it clear that he is there as a backup [for Haris Rauf],” Azam remarked.

“It is not that he is part of the 15-member squad [for World Cup]. We need to understand that he is a backup because of his experience,” he added.

He also stressed that the experienced pacer was recalled through a unanimous decision by the selection committee, comprising seven members.

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“It is not because of just one person that he [Hasan] is selected. There are seven selectors who selected him,” he concluded.

Notably, one of the selectors Wahab Riaz, also voiced the same opinion as Babar Azam while responding to a question regarding the selection of Hasan Ali.

“Hasan Ali was already in our plans for T20 World Cup 2024. He is a backup of Haris Rauf and we have communicated that to Hasan Ali,” said Riaz during a press conference.

“If Haris gets fit before the England series then he will be our first choice. If we feel Haris Rauf is not fit then Hasan Ali will replace him.”

Notably, Hasan Ali played the last of his 50 T20I matches against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2022.

Pakistan squad for Ireland and England T20Is

Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan.

READ: Mohammad Amir faces visa delay for Ireland tour

LAHORE: The Pakistan selectors revealed the reason behind recalling fast bowler Hasan Ali for the Ireland and England tour on Thursday.

The national selection committee members Abdul Razzaq, Bilal Afzal, Mohammad Yousuf and Wahab Riaz announced the 18-member Pakistan squad during a press conference here.

However, Hasan Ali’s selection raised eyebrows, prompting questions regarding his comeback.

While responding to a question, Wahab Riaz clarified that the right-arm pacer is selected on the back of his experience, as well as a backup for Haris Rauf.

“Hasan Ali was already in our plans for T20 World Cup 2024. He is a backup of Haris Rauf and we have communicated that to Hasan Ali,” said Riaz.

“If Haris gets fit before the England series then he will be our first choice. If we feel Haris Rauf is not fit then Hasan Ali will replace him.”

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Notably, Hasan Ali played the last of his 50 T20I matches against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2022.

He recently picked 14 wickets in 10 games for Karachi Kings during Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine.

The national team will play a three-match T20I series against Ireland from 10 May, followed by a four-match series against England.

Pakistan will announce the squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 after the first T20I against England, scheduled on 22 May.

Pakistan Squad for Ireland & England Tour

Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayyub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan

READ: Sikandar Raza expresses regret over Zimbabwe missing T20 World Cup