[VIDEOS] "I needed to prove my form and my fitness and I did that" : Hassan Ali

[MenInG]

Once regarded as one of Pakistan's top prospects, Hassan Ali last played in Pakistan colours in June 2019. A combination of bad form and injuries seemed to put on hold the career of the fast-bowler who has so far taken 148 international wickets and in 2017 was the top ranked bowler in the ICC ODI Player Rankings and was also the player of the tournament in the Champions Trophy of the same year.

In an exclusive interview with PakPassion.net, Hassan spoke about coping with the injuries which kept him out of cricket for 16 months, the high workload that contributed to his injuries, what needs to be done to avoid burnout for young bowlers in Pakistan, his excellent performances in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, why he was shocked to hear about Mohammad Amir's retirement from international cricket and his own aspirations to make a comeback to the Pakistan team.

​

PakPassion.net: Just how difficult was it for you during your injury problems?


Hassan Ali: It was a very difficult time for me. When you are a permanent member of a team and suddenly you are out of the game for 16 months it’s hard to take. On top of the injury, there was the Covid-19 restrictions to deal with which made the rehabilitation even more complicated and difficult. I’ve been through a very tough period of my life but hopefully it’s in the past now.


PakPassion.net: How frustrating was it when people were saying your injury was due to your celebration and a lack of focus on cricket?


Hassan Ali: There are two types of people. Some support you during the tough times in your life and some just criticise you for the sake of it. If people want to criticise me then they are welcome to criticise me for my cricket performances, I have no problem with that, but I don’t understand why people want to aim their criticism at my personal life. People were saying that I got injured due to my marriage and that he’s not focusing on cricket, but those people have no clue about just what difficulties you go through as a cricketer and have no understanding of the ups and downs a cricketer faces during his career.

It hurts when you have given blood, sweat and tears for your country and then some people mock you and throw ridiculous and unsubstantiated allegations at you about a lack of professionalism. I have seen people say that I got injured due to my celebration which is ridiculous, yet the PCB medical panel has no problem with my celebration. Neither the medics or I have any issues with my wicket-taking celebration, so I will continue with my celebration whether people like it or not.


PakPassion.net: What caused your spate of injuries? Was it down to not managing your workload properly?

Hassan Ali: It was because of far too much workload placed on my body. I was playing in all three formats for Pakistan and I had played in a few leagues around the world too. I had been playing continuously since my international debut and didn’t get much rest from cricket, so there was no recovery time in between matches or camps. I was bowling well and that was good as the team needed me to perform, but the workload was getting heavier and heavier and there was no rest. So, something had to give and that’s eventually what happened. I think sometimes people forget that fast bowlers are human too. They aren’t machines and you cannot just expect us to keep on bowling and stay fit every day of our career.


PakPassion.net: After impressing at the start of your career, your form dipped, what was the cause of that loss of form?

Hassan Ali: People tend to forget that I have 148 international wickets and only 13 of those were in the Champions Trophy. At times it feels like I only took wickets in the Champions Trophy and nowhere else and people forget that I have 135 wickets for Pakistan in other matches and series than the Champions Trophy in 2017. My critics make it sound like all of my wickets were in the Champions Trophy, well I would like to remind them that I have performed well not just in the Champions Trophy. As a cricketer you have ups and downs, good and bad days and even the likes of Sachin Tendulkar in the past have had low periods of form. This happens as you cannot take wickets every day or in every match, but people tend to forget that and expect you to perform amazingly in every single match.


PakPassion.net: Why is that so many Pakistani pace-bowlers start well, then lose their way and disappear from international cricket?

Hassan Ali: I started playing in the Under 16s in 2009 and I didn’t practice in any academy. I practiced with my brother and then moved into Under 19 cricket and never practiced with any qualified cricket coaches. Its only when I first toured Australia that I started doing gym work and actually focussing on my fitness, strength and conditioning. Prior to that tour of Australia, I had no idea what a gym was or how it could help me as a professional cricketer. There is a problem in our cricket culture and system wherein we overlook the non-playing side of cricket such as diet, training, looking after your body and ensuring you get enough rest. What then happens is that our young pace-bowlers are playing catch-up compared with their counterparts around the world when it comes to fitness levels. So, as a consequence of not working in a professional environment regarding our fitness and diet and conditioning, we suffer burn-out after a year or two.


PakPassion.net: What needs to be done to stop young Pakistani pace-bowlers from suffering from burn-out?

Hassan Ali: There needs to be more Under 16 and Under 19 academies where the youngsters are actually taught about what they can expect from international cricket, about yo-yo tests, about the importance of fitness, the importance of strength and conditioning and about the importance of diet. This has to be done by good coaches who are willing to turn players into very good players. At the moment too many young pace bowlers are coming into cricket without a basic understanding of the off-field requirements and as a result they perform for a year or two and then are nowhere to be seen.


PakPassion.net: Are young cricketers being rushed into international too soon by the Pakistani selectors?

Hassan Ali: If you look at Naseem Shah, he played Under 19, played one first-class match and was then playing international cricket. However, I played 3 or 4 seasons of first-class cricket before I made my international debut. I do worry about some of these young boys who are very talented. What we need to develop is this culture where these youngsters are prepared for international cricket. Because it’s very difficult to radically change a bowler’s action or a batsman’s technique by the time they are playing international cricket.


PakPassion.net: What are your memories of the problems you encountered when you started your international career?

Hassan Ali: I recall that when I started playing international cricket, the bowling coach Azhar Mahmood said to me that my front leg was collapsing when I was bowling but because I had been doing that for several years and it had become a habit, we could work on it, but we couldn’t totally fix the issue. This is what I mean about young cricketers in Pakistan not having that guidance and coaching available to them, because if that issue with my front leg collapsing had been spotted at the Under 16 or Under 19 level by a coach then it could have been rectified but by the time it was spotted, it was too late in the day for me.

PakPassion.net: Is there a danger at the moment that players in Pakistan are being picked for the longer formats based on their performances in Twenty20 competitions?

Hassan Ali: Yes, it’s an issue. We have seen too many times over the years that if a player does well in Twenty20 cricket he is picked for Test cricket or that if a player has done well in 4-day cricket then he is picked for the Twenty20 side. We need to change this culture. Occasionally you get players who are ready for international cricket at a young age, but most cricketers have to be nurtured and developed. Tournaments such as the Pakistan Super League do help players prepare for international cricket but sometimes, we rush players and throw them into international cricket too soon and when they are not ready. Players need to be selected for international cricket through the right channels and for the format they have performed in and proved themselves in.


PakPassion.net: You must be delighted with your recent form in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy?

Hassan Ali: I’m delighted and I really needed that. I needed to prove my form and my fitness, and I did that. I wanted to ensure that there were no doubts about my fitness or about my form and I believe I did that. I was pleased that Central Punjab were joint-winners and that I had captained the side too. I’d like to thank my Head Coach Shahid Anwar who never lost faith in the team or I, and who gave me the opportunity to lead the side and also thank my team who played brilliant cricket and made an amazing comeback after being bottom of the table after 6 rounds of the tournament.


PakPassion.net: Your confidence must be sky-high after the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy performances. Do you feel you are back to your best as a bowler?

Hassan Ali: I’m feeling really good. My pace is up, the ball is kicking off the wicket and my rhythm is good too. I’d been wanting to play in domestic cricket but only when I felt ready. I turned down the chance to play in the National T20 Cup as I didn’t feel that I was totally ready, and I wanted to prove myself and prepare fully for 4-day cricket. It took me a couple of matches in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy to find my feet again but after that initial rustiness wore off, I felt fine. The pitches weren’t too bowler-friendly so to take 43 wickets in this tournament is something that I am very satisfied with.


PakPassion.net: Will we see a different version of Hassan Ali post-injury?

Hassan Ali: I have learnt a lot especially while I was injured as you get a lot of time to focus on things you could have done differently. I think the most important thing that I have learnt is that managing my workload is the key and that is crucial to staying fit and maintaining my fitness levels. I have learnt that there is no compromise when it comes to fitness. If you are fit you can play for a long time and perform consistently, if you aren’t fit then you can forget about everything. I have promised myself that I have to take care of myself regarding my diet, rest and workload and that it’s important to know when I should give my body a break from cricket rather than trying to push myself when not fully fit.


PakPassion.net: What are your thoughts on Pakistan’s bowlers in New Zealand in the recently concluded Test series?

Hassan Ali: I didn’t see a lot of the action due to the time difference and of course being busy with playing in domestic cricket myself. I watched the highlights and from what I saw we didn’t perform well but I still have faith in the bowlers that were out there. Naseem Shah is very young, he has a lot to learn and he needs to gain more experience. Shaheen Shah Afridi has been doing very well for his country and Mohammad Abbas is an experienced bowler, but when your fielders keep dropping catches never mind winning Test matches you won’t even win a Twenty20. When you drop players of the class of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor then those players will make you pay and suffer.


PakPassion.net: Do you feel ready for a return to international cricket?

Hassan Ali: I’m ready and this is why I played nine back-to back first-class matches and performed with both bat and ball. During the whole Quaid-e-Azam Trophy I never left the field once when our team was fielding. I’m fit and ready and now it’s up to the selectors and team management if they feel they are ready to pick me. Whatever I could do on the field with both bat and ball, I feel I have done.


PakPassion.net: How difficult was it to leave Peshawar Zalmi and why the change of team?

Hassan Ali: I informed Peshawar Zalmi that I wanted to leave and seek a new challenge in the Pakistan Super League. I had a great time at Zalmi especially playing under Mohammad Akram. He and I have a great relationship and he has played an important role in my career and has been a father-figure to me and he has always said that he sees a bit of himself in my bowling, which is a really nice thing for him to say. He has been a great support for me, and I hope that continues in years to come. He has really helped me with on and off the field issues and I owe him a lot, but there comes a time when you have to seek a new challenge.


PakPassion.net: And that new challenge in the Pakistan Super League is Islamabad United which you must be pleased about?

Hassan Ali: I am yes. They have won the tournament previously and it’s a strong team that I am going to. I wanted a new challenge after spending some great times at Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United provides me with that new challenge. I’m looking forward to playing for them and hopefully helping them to more Pakistan Super League titles.


PakPassion.net: You have always been an entertaining cricketer who is different to many other players. Are we still going to see the entertainer in you?

Hassan Ali: I always like to bring energy to every team that I play for and I will never change that. I am a passionate cricketer who likes to entertain and likes to play cricket with a smile on my face and hopefully I can bring smiles to the faces of cricket-lovers too. I don’t want to change anything about myself. Yes, I have seen a lot of hard times but my passion for cricket and my jovial nature is the key to my success. Pressure comes with cricket and is always there in life, but I feel that one should tackle those difficult times with a smile and with confidence.


PakPassion.net: How difficult is it for modern-day pace-bowlers to be available for their country in all three formats?

Hassan Ali: I want to play for Pakistan in all three formats but my preferred format is Test cricket because it’s the real deal and there is a special feeling and enjoyment when you are playing Test cricket and wearing your Test cap with pride. If we look at the example of Mohammad Amir that is his personal choice and nobody can do anything about it apart from himself. I was disappointed when I heard that he had retired from international cricket. In fact, I immediately called him and said to him “What have you done Amir bhai?” I got goosebumps and my hands were shaking. In Pakistan he is still my favourite bowler. If he was struggling with the workload, he should have spoken with the Pakistan Cricket Board and they could have resolved the issue. We know what a bowler Mohammad Amir was and still is.


PakPassion.net: What goals have you set yourself?

Hassan Ali: My focus is on the series against South Africa, so let’s see if I am picked for that first and foremost and if so which squad(s) I am picked in. I’m really hopeful that after a good domestic season so far that I have done enough to be picked. Then after that there is the Pakistan Super League. So, there is plenty of cricket to look forward to and I just hope to stay fit and keep on enjoying my cricket.

 

[Kaka4pope]

A good competitor, makes a fair point about having 140+ wickets across tournaments and formats.

Hassan, Amir, Shaheen are our three best quick bowlers - probably in every format, time to decide where they focus (assuming Amir returns of course).

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Great interview. I love his determination and commitment to making a comeback. Hope he does well.

 

[TheSultan]

Good answers and great to see him back. A fully fit Hassan Ali is a huge asset to the pak team, and to hear his priority his test cricket is really good to hear

 

[SensiblePakFan]

Spot on about dropped catches.

 

[NoBallZombie]

Balanced interview. Interesting that he has mentioned his workload a few times -- just like Amir. The management should have a proper rotation policy for bowlers, I fear SSA would be worked into the ground as he is playing all the matches.
It would be good for our bowling reserves to have him back in the squad. Experience and skills. I see him bowling with SSA in the SA series in addition to 2 spinners and potentially Faheem. Would be a balanced attack.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Balanced interview. Interesting that he has mentioned his workload a few times -- just like Amir. The management should have a proper rotation policy for bowlers, I fear SSA would be worked into the ground as he is playing all the matches.
It would be good for our bowling reserves to have him back in the squad. Experience and skills. I see him bowling with SSA in the SA series in addition to 2 spinners and potentially Faheem. Would be a balanced attack.

Waqar belongs to the Imran school of thought - run and run and run until your bones become stronger. Shoaib Akhtar actually belongs to this school of thought too.

I think there is a way of following this school of thought allowing over exertion but also giving some breaks in between. With a qualified biomechanist and fitness specialist monitoring progress.

I do believe there is some degree of truth to this thought process - we do criticize it a lot as fans, but this is a process that worked for Imran, Waqar, and Shoaib, all three of whom are among the best bowlers to have ever walked this earth.

Further, even from a scientific perspective, when consulting with an England based qualified physician Shaheen’s analysis actually returned the opinion that he is not playing enough i.e it’s when he returns from sustained periods of rest that he might be more susceptible to a muscle tear or other form of injury. The verdict was that he should play consistent cricket for at least one more year so that his body adapts and grows - Akhtar, Rashid Latif both agree with this verdict.

A young fast bowler’s body is always developing based on workload, and has to condition itself to bowl long, long spells. These kids are spending most of their time playing T20 cricket, compare this to bowlers of the 80s running in day in day out in first class cricket throughout the year. When they weren’t playing Test cricket they’d either play domestic FC or county — this is how the West Indian greats were made, and that’s how Imran, Wasim, Waqar, and Shoaib plied their trade.

These guys were supreme athletes - as a hard taskmaster, Waqar expects the same from his bowlers. I actually think Waqar has not had that bad of a tenure as bowling coach as most believe.

My biggest criticism is his runup modification of Naseem, as well as lack of analysis (Woakes, Warner, or to have Rizwan stand up to the stumps to Abbas).

Other than this, he has done well to improve Shaheen, Rauf, Hasnain who all credit Waqar for their improvements over the last year. These are improvements that all fans have noticed (Shaheen’s yorker, Rauf’s outswing, Hasnain’s stock ball) and to forget that Waqar is responsible for these improvements is myopic and based on short-term memory.

Hassan is a clear case of over bowling, but as far as Amir goes, it is clear that there are further problems in his biomechanics as even after sustained periods of rest he is still bowling at the 130 mark with marginal swing. His stock delivery has turned into 5 off cutters an over. This is worrying, and I wonder whether Amir has consulted a proper analyst.

That’s where Hassan’s point comes in- we don’t have a structure in place where qualified bowling analysts can properly identify issues with bowlers at young ages, or even at the international level if a superstar like Amir can’t get the advice he needs.

Unfortunately, “structure” and “system” requires money. That we don’t have.

 

[TheSultan]

Waqar belongs to the Imran school of thought - run and run and run until your bones become stronger. Shoaib Akhtar actually belongs to this school of thought too.

I think there is a way of following this school of thought allowing over exertion but also giving some breaks in between. With a qualified biomechanist and fitness specialist monitoring progress.

I do believe there is some degree of truth to this thought process - we do criticize it a lot as fans, but this is a process that worked for Imran, Waqar, and Shoaib, all three of whom are among the best bowlers to have ever walked this earth.

Further, even from a scientific perspective, when consulting with an England based qualified physician Shaheen’s analysis actually returned the opinion that he is not playing enough i.e it’s when he returns from sustained periods of rest that he might be more susceptible to a muscle tear or other form of injury. The verdict was that he should play consistent cricket for at least one more year so that his body adapts and grows - Akhtar, Rashid Latif both agree with this verdict.

A young fast bowler’s body is always developing based on workload, and has to condition itself to bowl long, long spells. These kids are spending most of their time playing T20 cricket, compare this to bowlers of the 80s running in day in day out in first class cricket throughout the year. When they weren’t playing Test cricket they’d either play domestic FC or county — this is how the West Indian greats were made, and that’s how Imran, Wasim, Waqar, and Shoaib plied their trade.

These guys were supreme athletes - as a hard taskmaster, Waqar expects the same from his bowlers. I actually think Waqar has not had that bad of a tenure as bowling coach as most believe.

My biggest criticism is his runup modification of Naseem, as well as lack of analysis (Woakes, Warner, or to have Rizwan stand up to the stumps to Abbas).

Other than this, he has done well to improve Shaheen, Rauf, Hasnain who all credit Waqar for their improvements over the last year. These are improvements that all fans have noticed (Shaheen’s yorker, Rauf’s outswing, Hasnain’s stock ball) and to forget that Waqar is responsible for these improvements is myopic and based on short-term memory.

Hassan is a clear case of over bowling, but as far as Amir goes, it is clear that there are further problems in his biomechanics as even after sustained periods of rest he is still bowling at the 130 mark with marginal swing. His stock delivery has turned into 5 off cutters an over. This is worrying, and I wonder whether Amir has consulted a proper analyst.

That’s where Hassan’s point comes in- we don’t have a structure in place where qualified bowling analysts can properly identify issues with bowlers at young ages, or even at the international level if a superstar like Amir can’t get the advice he needs.

Unfortunately, “structure” and “system” requires money. That we don’t have.

Interesting take and some food for thought regarding Waqar’s coaching. I can actually believe he has improved some of the bowlers’ deliveries. I can believe the bit about Shaheen’s yorker as Waqar did improve Umar Gul and Rana Naved’s yorkers too.

My problem is we see very little of them in matches. Where I think he has failed is bowling plans. They seem non existent - and yes of course the Naseem shortened run up. I don’t know why he advised that, and even if it could be better for Naseem in the long term, he will need time to adjust to it and shouldn’t have been selected for international cricket while he was adjusting

 

[BunnyRabbit]

A feisty character. Injects a lot of energy on the field. Also a live wire in the field.

Hassan Ali on song is a very good sight to see.

One thing I would like to mention is, from mid 2018, his form started to waver. Even though he was the fittest of our players according to the yo yo tests that took place those days, but he looked pretty poor after the test series against NZ. In Asia cup, he was ordinary and his poor form carried into the world cup where he looked hapless and clueless and probably didn't know what he was lacking. He had been playing a lot of cricket before that and that probably led to his decline.

What I would like to add is, he suffered a rib injury. A rib injury usually occurs when you chest is stretched a bit too much too quickly. When you look at his second part of his celebration, he does exactly that to his body. With ribs injured, you are unable to stretch your costal muscles and can't really deliver fuller length with good control or bowl yorkers well. Also some pace can get lost in the way. His inability to bowl yorkers inWC19 was pretty evident.

I read about Dr Sohail Saleem being a sports medicine expert, but I would like to know if he knows about it or not.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

One thing more, when he plays domestic cricket, he almost always opens the bowling but during his international cricket, he more often than not comes in as a first or second change and every time he has opened the attack he has looked very wayward and out of control. Apart from his spell in 4th t20i against WI in WI 2017, his opening spells have been pretty poor.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

One thing more, when he plays domestic cricket, he almost always opens the bowling but during his international cricket, he more often than not comes in as a first or second change and every time he has opened the attack he has looked very wayward and out of control. Apart from his spell in 4th t20i against WI in WI 2017, his opening spells have been pretty poor.

Well, we’re looking for a new ball bowler now with Amir out of the picture. No one there to partner Shaheen - Hasnain and Rauf are still behind Hassan in the new ball pecking order. In Tests, Abbas might be replaced with Hassan as soon as the SA series this month.

 

[Ahmed_99]

He seems really focussed now which is great. There is no doubt that a fit and firing Hassan Ali is a quality bowler and would improve our current bowling attack.

Also been nice to see his batting form. Hopefully he can keep that up when he returns to the international fold

 

[moghul]

That's the way it should be , he was unfit and out of form, took his time, got fit, retuned to basics that's FC cricket and proved his form and fitness, I'm impressed.

Very nice interview , enjoyed it.

T20 cricket is a killer for the development of any young pacer, they develop defensive mindset and techniques . And, if they become famous, like Hasan did , they become too greedy, start playing in too many leagues to grab more money in short period of time but lose in the long term with injuries , loss of from and place in the team.

 

[angrypathan]

Pretty good interview. Only answer that raised some eyebrows was his response to his loss of form before the injuries, very defensive. But whatever, he's in form now and that's what matters. Also happy to see that he has a preference for Test cricket. Pakistan desperately needs a bowler with FC experience to pair with Shaheen. Hassan Ali is the perfect candidate. He's got age on his side and is more than handy with the bat as well.

 

[wrongun]

Waqar belongs to the Imran school of thought - run and run and run until your bones become stronger. Shoaib Akhtar actually belongs to this school of thought too.

I think there is a way of following this school of thought allowing over exertion but also giving some breaks in between. With a qualified biomechanist and fitness specialist monitoring progress.

I do believe there is some degree of truth to this thought process - we do criticize it a lot as fans, but this is a process that worked for Imran, Waqar, and Shoaib, all three of whom are among the best bowlers to have ever walked this earth.

Further, even from a scientific perspective, when consulting with an England based qualified physician Shaheen’s analysis actually returned the opinion that he is not playing enough i.e it’s when he returns from sustained periods of rest that he might be more susceptible to a muscle tear or other form of injury. The verdict was that he should play consistent cricket for at least one more year so that his body adapts and grows - Akhtar, Rashid Latif both agree with this verdict.

A young fast bowler’s body is always developing based on workload, and has to condition itself to bowl long, long spells. These kids are spending most of their time playing T20 cricket, compare this to bowlers of the 80s running in day in day out in first class cricket throughout the year. When they weren’t playing Test cricket they’d either play domestic FC or county — this is how the West Indian greats were made, and that’s how Imran, Wasim, Waqar, and Shoaib plied their trade.

These guys were supreme athletes - as a hard taskmaster, Waqar expects the same from his bowlers. I actually think Waqar has not had that bad of a tenure as bowling coach as most believe.

My biggest criticism is his runup modification of Naseem, as well as lack of analysis (Woakes, Warner, or to have Rizwan stand up to the stumps to Abbas).

Other than this, he has done well to improve Shaheen, Rauf, Hasnain who all credit Waqar for their improvements over the last year. These are improvements that all fans have noticed (Shaheen’s yorker, Rauf’s outswing, Hasnain’s stock ball) and to forget that Waqar is responsible for these improvements is myopic and based on short-term memory.

Hassan is a clear case of over bowling, but as far as Amir goes, it is clear that there are further problems in his biomechanics as even after sustained periods of rest he is still bowling at the 130 mark with marginal swing. His stock delivery has turned into 5 off cutters an over. This is worrying, and I wonder whether Amir has consulted a proper analyst.

That’s where Hassan’s point comes in- we don’t have a structure in place where qualified bowling analysts can properly identify issues with bowlers at young ages, or even at the international level if a superstar like Amir can’t get the advice he needs.

Unfortunately, “structure” and “system” requires money. That we don’t have.

Great post. Do you think the new domestic structure will begin to improve this with more pay & better qualified coaches filtering in (I see a few ex -Pakistani players doing specialist courses in the UK)?

Return of home cricket tours might begin to improve the financial position of the Board to spend more on those things in the next few years.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Great post. Do you think the new domestic structure will begin to improve this with more pay & better qualified coaches filtering in (I see a few ex -Pakistani players doing specialist courses in the UK)?

Return of home cricket tours might begin to improve the financial position of the Board to spend more on those things in the next few years.

PSL is the biggest reason for development of infrastructure. It gives PCB money to spend on coaches and each of the franchises have their own coaches and Player Development programs.

In addition to this you have U13, U16, U19 open trials and regional sides. Coaches like Mohammad Akram go scouting for talent in the nether regions of KPK and they can handpick the most talented kids and work with them. We actually won’t see the results of this for another 4 years. A kid identified at age 14 in 2018 (and there are a lot of kids identified like this by Quetta, Lahore, Peshawar especially) will be 21 in 2025 and only then will you begin to see them playing U19 cricket and domestic cricket if they progress well.

You are right about all the ex-players getting coaching certificates - this is good as it floods the market with experience and you will automatically begin to see new clubs and academies begin to open up (Azhar Ali just opened his own cricket academy a couple weeks ago actually and he’s not even an ex-player yet).

Grant Bradburn has been hired by Nadeem Khan to begin training a lot of these coaches- the new domestic system rewards successful domestic cricketers like Mohammad Wasim, Mohammad Masroor the opportunity to move up through the ranks, and ex-cricketers (or near retirement) like Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, Bilal Asif, Imran Farhat receive experience in the form of mentorship roles during their last 1-2 seasons of FC cricket before they move into coaching roles.

Ex-cricketers like Mohammad Yousuf are now working with U19 cricketers at the NHPC, and Abdul Razzaq was roped into KPK where he led them to win the National T20 Cup as well as QeA Trophy.

This means experience has begun trickling down the ranks and there are lots of opportunities for players to develop their coaching credentials in an environment that rewards performance and punishes negative brands of cricket (Ijaz Ahmed Jr was sacked from Central Punjab even though he won the QeA trophy last year, because he didn’t give chances to youngsters and the win was based off of backing Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, and Ahmed Shehzad, and btw Ijaz Jr is also a known fixer).

Obviously there is a lot, lot, lot, lot left to do. But the system and structure is improving. The next big priority for PCB is to restart club level and city level cricket, which they were going to do mid 2020 but the process fell through due to Covid. The hope is that they can get it up and running by next season.

In addition, like Hassan says about proper technical advice, we need to start roping in properly qualified batting coaches to begin working on our domestic level, though I have no idea where these guys will come from. There are not many (none) existing in Pakistan. So we’ll have to do something like, hire Gio Collusi or Gary Palmer to the NHPC for a 3-month stint, invite 10-15 local batting coaches, and have them undergo a rigorous coaching bootcamp. Then spread these guys throughout Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Peshawar in the regional High Performance Centers. Next, have them work with U13 and U16 cricketers.

After that, the focus should be on reviving school cricket.

 

[Savak]

Waqar belongs to the Imran school of thought - run and run and run until your bones become stronger. Shoaib Akhtar actually belongs to this school of thought too.

I think there is a way of following this school of thought allowing over exertion but also giving some breaks in between. With a qualified biomechanist and fitness specialist monitoring progress.

I do believe there is some degree of truth to this thought process - we do criticize it a lot as fans, but this is a process that worked for Imran, Waqar, and Shoaib, all three of whom are among the best bowlers to have ever walked this earth.

Further, even from a scientific perspective, when consulting with an England based qualified physician Shaheen’s analysis actually returned the opinion that he is not playing enough i.e it’s when he returns from sustained periods of rest that he might be more susceptible to a muscle tear or other form of injury. The verdict was that he should play consistent cricket for at least one more year so that his body adapts and grows - Akhtar, Rashid Latif both agree with this verdict.

A young fast bowler’s body is always developing based on workload, and has to condition itself to bowl long, long spells. These kids are spending most of their time playing T20 cricket, compare this to bowlers of the 80s running in day in day out in first class cricket throughout the year. When they weren’t playing Test cricket they’d either play domestic FC or county — this is how the West Indian greats were made, and that’s how Imran, Wasim, Waqar, and Shoaib plied their trade.

These guys were supreme athletes - as a hard taskmaster, Waqar expects the same from his bowlers. I actually think Waqar has not had that bad of a tenure as bowling coach as most believe.

My biggest criticism is his runup modification of Naseem, as well as lack of analysis (Woakes, Warner, or to have Rizwan stand up to the stumps to Abbas).

Other than this, he has done well to improve Shaheen, Rauf, Hasnain who all credit Waqar for their improvements over the last year. These are improvements that all fans have noticed (Shaheen’s yorker, Rauf’s outswing, Hasnain’s stock ball) and to forget that Waqar is responsible for these improvements is myopic and based on short-term memory.

Hassan is a clear case of over bowling, but as far as Amir goes, it is clear that there are further problems in his biomechanics as even after sustained periods of rest he is still bowling at the 130 mark with marginal swing. His stock delivery has turned into 5 off cutters an over. This is worrying, and I wonder whether Amir has consulted a proper analyst.

That’s where Hassan’s point comes in- we don’t have a structure in place where qualified bowling analysts can properly identify issues with bowlers at young ages, or even at the international level if a superstar like Amir can’t get the advice he needs.

Unfortunately, “structure” and “system” requires money. That we don’t have.

Waqar believes in non stop running and bowling to become stronger. Akhtar on the other hand believes in quality of work i.e. train very hard and furiously in a short period of time and bowl quality 3-4 over super fast spells and around 15 overs a day but to ensure that your workload is managed i.e. you are rested from inconsequential dead rubbers or against minnow sides. This way you might not play 100 test matches but you will play 60-70 test matches and be bowling at 150 km/hr plus in all those games, taking loads of wickets, match winning performances and leaving invaluable memories. If you want to play 100 plus test matches as a fast bowler then you will need to make compromises i.e. shortened run up, cutting down your pace from 150 km/hr to the mid to low 130 km/hr and find other tricks to be respectably effective.

As far as Amir is concerned, my analysis is that he is someone who takes shortcuts and just does the bare minimum that is expected from him. I mean he is only 27-28 years old, maybe 30-31 years old unofficially but that is still a very young to be cutting down from 145 km/hr to 127-132 km/hr. I watched Amir's bowling after 2016 onwards and i noticed, observed that he began to bowl a lot across the right hander, outside the offstump aiming more for economy and he was no longer interested in pitching the ball up, aiming to swing the ball into the right hander furiously at 140 km/hr plus pace.

In a tv interview he dismissed the concept of weight training for fast bowlers and was like i am a fast bowler not a wrestler. Whereas Akhtar comes from the school of thought that the strength conditioning work that you do in the gym is what gives you the extra yard of pace and the capacity to maintain it for longer time periods.

I have also seen in various tv interviews where Amir comes across as if he believes in doing what he wants to do, what he knows best and even if someone like Wasim, Waqar and Shoaib tell him something in good faith, he will mockingly dismiss it. I mean Wasim has worked with Amir in the PSL and Waqar as bowling coach and none of them have been able to do much with him. In fact Waqar as a bowling coach started to aggressively lobby for the likes of Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Mohd Hasnain, Musa Khan as Pakistan's premier fast bowlers for the future, he is a huge fan of Hasan Ali as well where he once commented that the biggest thing he looks for in a younger cricketer is the hunger to work hard, continue to learn and work on their craft and i suspect he did not see this from Amir hence he stopped lobbying for him and was very happy to see him go off into the sunset.

 

[Savak]

PSL is the biggest reason for development of infrastructure. It gives PCB money to spend on coaches and each of the franchises have their own coaches and Player Development programs.

In addition to this you have U13, U16, U19 open trials and regional sides. Coaches like Mohammad Akram go scouting for talent in the nether regions of KPK and they can handpick the most talented kids and work with them. We actually won’t see the results of this for another 4 years. A kid identified at age 14 in 2018 (and there are a lot of kids identified like this by Quetta, Lahore, Peshawar especially) will be 21 in 2025 and only then will you begin to see them playing U19 cricket and domestic cricket if they progress well.

You are right about all the ex-players getting coaching certificates - this is good as it floods the market with experience and you will automatically begin to see new clubs and academies begin to open up (Azhar Ali just opened his own cricket academy a couple weeks ago actually and he’s not even an ex-player yet).

Grant Bradburn has been hired by Nadeem Khan to begin training a lot of these coaches- the new domestic system rewards successful domestic cricketers like Mohammad Wasim, Mohammad Masroor the opportunity to move up through the ranks, and ex-cricketers (or near retirement) like Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, Bilal Asif, Imran Farhat receive experience in the form of mentorship roles during their last 1-2 seasons of FC cricket before they move into coaching roles.

Ex-cricketers like Mohammad Yousuf are now working with U19 cricketers at the NHPC, and Abdul Razzaq was roped into KPK where he led them to win the National T20 Cup as well as QeA Trophy.

This means experience has begun trickling down the ranks and there are lots of opportunities for players to develop their coaching credentials in an environment that rewards performance and punishes negative brands of cricket (Ijaz Ahmed Jr was sacked from Central Punjab even though he won the QeA trophy last year, because he didn’t give chances to youngsters and the win was based off of backing Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, and Ahmed Shehzad, and btw Ijaz Jr is also a known fixer).

Obviously there is a lot, lot, lot, lot left to do. But the system and structure is improving. The next big priority for PCB is to restart club level and city level cricket, which they were going to do mid 2020 but the process fell through due to Covid. The hope is that they can get it up and running by next season.

In addition, like Hassan says about proper technical advice, we need to start roping in properly qualified batting coaches to begin working on our domestic level, though I have no idea where these guys will come from. There are not many (none) existing in Pakistan. So we’ll have to do something like, hire Gio Collusi or Gary Palmer to the NHPC for a 3-month stint, invite 10-15 local batting coaches, and have them undergo a rigorous coaching bootcamp. Then spread these guys throughout Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Peshawar in the regional High Performance Centers. Next, have them work with U13 and U16 cricketers.

After that, the focus should be on reviving school cricket.

Well the PCB is very optimistic it will earn around $200 million from the PTV deal it has signed over a 3 year period. If that number is true or even if the PCB gets somewhere close to that number, it will be a huge injection of Funds that the PCB has not enjoyed for more than 10 years.

The PCB in the press release mentioned that they plan to spend $90 million in upgrading domestic cricket, in hiring coaches ex legends to work in academies, to upgrading the stadiums in the country, establishing high performance centres all over the country. Hope that the PCB is correct in its forecasts.

 

[MenInG]

Hope he gets back in the side for SA series - lets see what he can do as currently, we are missing a bowler with zest that he has.

 

[observer1]

Hope he gets back in the side for SA series - lets see what he can do as currently, we are missing a bowler with zest that he has.

200% spot on. The lack of fire in the bowling was apparent against NZ and Aus

 

[UzmanBeast]

Waqar believes in non stop running and bowling to become stronger. Akhtar on the other hand believes in quality of work i.e. train very hard and furiously in a short period of time and bowl quality 3-4 over super fast spells and around 15 overs a day but to ensure that your workload is managed i.e. you are rested from inconsequential dead rubbers or against minnow sides. This way you might not play 100 test matches but you will play 60-70 test matches and be bowling at 150 km/hr plus in all those games, taking loads of wickets, match winning performances and leaving invaluable memories. If you want to play 100 plus test matches as a fast bowler then you will need to make compromises i.e. shortened run up, cutting down your pace from 150 km/hr to the mid to low 130 km/hr and find other tricks to be respectably effective.

As far as Amir is concerned, my analysis is that he is someone who takes shortcuts and just does the bare minimum that is expected from him. I mean he is only 27-28 years old, maybe 30-31 years old unofficially but that is still a very young to be cutting down from 145 km/hr to 127-132 km/hr. I watched Amir's bowling after 2016 onwards and i noticed, observed that he began to bowl a lot across the right hander, outside the offstump aiming more for economy and he was no longer interested in pitching the ball up, aiming to swing the ball into the right hander furiously at 140 km/hr plus pace.

In a tv interview he dismissed the concept of weight training for fast bowlers and was like i am a fast bowler not a wrestler. Whereas Akhtar comes from the school of thought that the strength conditioning work that you do in the gym is what gives you the extra yard of pace and the capacity to maintain it for longer time periods.

I have also seen in various tv interviews where Amir comes across as if he believes in doing what he wants to do, what he knows best and even if someone like Wasim, Waqar and Shoaib tell him something in good faith, he will mockingly dismiss it. I mean Wasim has worked with Amir in the PSL and Waqar as bowling coach and none of them have been able to do much with him. In fact Waqar as a bowling coach started to aggressively lobby for the likes of Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Mohd Hasnain, Musa Khan as Pakistan's premier fast bowlers for the future, he is a huge fan of Hasan Ali as well where he once commented that the biggest thing he looks for in a younger cricketer is the hunger to work hard, continue to learn and work on their craft and i suspect he did not see this from Amir hence he stopped lobbying for him and was very happy to see him go off into the sunset.

Amir's deterioration is still a grey area, because neither he nor the board have given a solid matching answer to the issue. Both have fair points, and the balance is tipped towards Amir himself, but going from 145 kph to about 132 kph within two years is a very severe deterioration. During that time period, I don't recall him getting any injuries, so that leaves a few options. The first reason could be that he is carrying an injury that even he might not know, and has not gone through with a proper medical assessment. The second reason could be that he is unfit, and can't bowl at that speed for many overs. The last reason is where I think he has settled, where his mindset has changed towards becoming more economical and bowling with less pace than usual. I have also noticed what you have said about Amir angling the ball away, and nowadays, he very rarely uses the short ball and hardly challenges the pads. His remarks about fitness and weight training are also a sight for concern because I also agree with Shoaib Akhtar that weight training improves your bowling speed.

On the topic of Hasan Ali, one thing that has really impressed me is that his hunger to play for Pakistan, and his understanding of the injuries he has sustained, has meant that he is committing himself to test cricket at the moment. At a time when our test team is in shambles, someone like him will be fully focused on the format, and will no doubt take wickets after he gets into the team. I personally want Hasan Ali to play test matches at the moment and slowly work his way into the T20 team for the World Cup, but there is already too much competition in our T20 team as well. His batting is an added bonus, and he can definitely be an asset to the lower middle order.

In the last decade, if we have had any good fast bowling prospects, Hasan Ali is surely somewhere near the top of that list. We were very unlucky to have missed out on his services in test matches, because he would have surely helped take wickets in England, Australia, and New Zealand. However, his focus should be the South Africa series. Karachi will be a spinner's paradise, but I have a feeling that the management will try and bluff South Africa by making it a flat, dry surface which has something for fast bowlers early on. Pindi will be a place where our pacers have to do well.

I look forward to seeing Hasan Ali on the test team against South Africa.

 

[A.A.Z]

Waqar belongs to the Imran school of thought - run and run and run until your bones become stronger. Shoaib Akhtar actually belongs to this school of thought too.

I think there is a way of following this school of thought allowing over exertion but also giving some breaks in between. With a qualified biomechanist and fitness specialist monitoring progress.

I do believe there is some degree of truth to this thought process - we do criticize it a lot as fans, but this is a process that worked for Imran, Waqar, and Shoaib, all three of whom are among the best bowlers to have ever walked this earth.

Further, even from a scientific perspective, when consulting with an England based qualified physician Shaheen’s analysis actually returned the opinion that he is not playing enough i.e it’s when he returns from sustained periods of rest that he might be more susceptible to a muscle tear or other form of injury. The verdict was that he should play consistent cricket for at least one more year so that his body adapts and grows - Akhtar, Rashid Latif both agree with this verdict.

A young fast bowler’s body is always developing based on workload, and has to condition itself to bowl long, long spells. These kids are spending most of their time playing T20 cricket, compare this to bowlers of the 80s running in day in day out in first class cricket throughout the year. When they weren’t playing Test cricket they’d either play domestic FC or county — this is how the West Indian greats were made, and that’s how Imran, Wasim, Waqar, and Shoaib plied their trade.

These guys were supreme athletes - as a hard taskmaster, Waqar expects the same from his bowlers. I actually think Waqar has not had that bad of a tenure as bowling coach as most believe.

My biggest criticism is his runup modification of Naseem, as well as lack of analysis (Woakes, Warner, or to have Rizwan stand up to the stumps to Abbas).

Other than this, he has done well to improve Shaheen, Rauf, Hasnain who all credit Waqar for their improvements over the last year. These are improvements that all fans have noticed (Shaheen’s yorker, Rauf’s outswing, Hasnain’s stock ball) and to forget that Waqar is responsible for these improvements is myopic and based on short-term memory.

Hassan is a clear case of over bowling, but as far as Amir goes, it is clear that there are further problems in his biomechanics as even after sustained periods of rest he is still bowling at the 130 mark with marginal swing. His stock delivery has turned into 5 off cutters an over. This is worrying, and I wonder whether Amir has consulted a proper analyst.

That’s where Hassan’s point comes in- we don’t have a structure in place where qualified bowling analysts can properly identify issues with bowlers at young ages, or even at the international level if a superstar like Amir can’t get the advice he needs.

Unfortunately, “structure” and “system” requires money. That we don’t have.

Quality post! You may have missed out accidentally but even Wasim belongs to the same school of thought

 

[Markhor]

Hasan seems to have a good understanding of the game, and he's spot on about the need for players to be educated on conditioning at the U16 and U19 level.

I still think Hasan has value especially on low bounce wickets in Asia where his skiddy pace and reverse swing comes in handy. He captained Central Punjab well and proved his form and fitness in the QEA Trophy.

 

[Pakhs]

His point regarding Naseem Shah not even playing one full season of domestic cricket before being picked is a big one. That tells you how wrong the selection has been in Pakistan.

 

[the Great Khan]

The kid has the hunger and I love his passion. He also understands his game well and I cant wait to see him back.

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

Waqar belongs to the Imran school of thought - run and run and run until your bones become stronger. Shoaib Akhtar actually belongs to this school of thought too.

I think there is a way of following this school of thought allowing over exertion but also giving some breaks in between. With a qualified biomechanist and fitness specialist monitoring progress.

I do believe there is some degree of truth to this thought process - we do criticize it a lot as fans, but this is a process that worked for Imran, Waqar, and Shoaib, all three of whom are among the best bowlers to have ever walked this earth.

Further, even from a scientific perspective, when consulting with an England based qualified physician Shaheen’s analysis actually returned the opinion that he is not playing enough i.e it’s when he returns from sustained periods of rest that he might be more susceptible to a muscle tear or other form of injury. The verdict was that he should play consistent cricket for at least one more year so that his body adapts and grows - Akhtar, Rashid Latif both agree with this verdict.

A young fast bowler’s body is always developing based on workload, and has to condition itself to bowl long, long spells. These kids are spending most of their time playing T20 cricket, compare this to bowlers of the 80s running in day in day out in first class cricket throughout the year. When they weren’t playing Test cricket they’d either play domestic FC or county — this is how the West Indian greats were made, and that’s how Imran, Wasim, Waqar, and Shoaib plied their trade.

These guys were supreme athletes - as a hard taskmaster, Waqar expects the same from his bowlers. I actually think Waqar has not had that bad of a tenure as bowling coach as most believe.

My biggest criticism is his runup modification of Naseem, as well as lack of analysis (Woakes, Warner, or to have Rizwan stand up to the stumps to Abbas).

Other than this, he has done well to improve Shaheen, Rauf, Hasnain who all credit Waqar for their improvements over the last year. These are improvements that all fans have noticed (Shaheen’s yorker, Rauf’s outswing, Hasnain’s stock ball) and to forget that Waqar is responsible for these improvements is myopic and based on short-term memory.

Hassan is a clear case of over bowling, but as far as Amir goes, it is clear that there are further problems in his biomechanics as even after sustained periods of rest he is still bowling at the 130 mark with marginal swing. His stock delivery has turned into 5 off cutters an over. This is worrying, and I wonder whether Amir has consulted a proper analyst.

That’s where Hassan’s point comes in- we don’t have a structure in place where qualified bowling analysts can properly identify issues with bowlers at young ages, or even at the international level if a superstar like Amir can’t get the advice he needs.

Unfortunately, “structure” and “system” requires money. That we don’t have.

As [MENTION=2501]Savak[/MENTION] has illustrated very well, Shoaib's school of thought is very different to Waqar who has a dinosaur mindset when it comes to handling snd developing fast bowlers. Wasim also has no clue about coaching fast bowlers and is absolutely oblivious to its technicalities.
It is a big travesty that Shoaib just likes to mouth off in the media because he could have been an excellent bowling coach and developer of young bowlers.

 

[NauV]

Good interview! The only disappointing answer was to the question about his dip in form . . it is a fact, not an opinion that he had a major dip in form! Yes, he took only 13 of his 140+ wickets in the CT but his bowling, zip, pace, control in 2017 was on another level which made him so successful! It all fell apart after . . . you can continue taking a bucket loads of wicket at an average of 50 . . but it doesn't help the team! So the argument that he has 138 wickets outside the CT is a stupid one . .

I was hoping he would have a more scientific and a well thought out response rather than brushing it under the carpet . . Can't fix what you don't know! Reflection and introspection is one of the greatest quality of any professional . . Those who can do that in a meaningful way, progress much faster (and higher) than those who can't.

Anyway, I really like Hassan Ali the cricketer . . he really gives it his all and one of the few cricketers who you can see give 100% out on the field! No shortage of effort . . He is a great asset if he can regain his form and become a permanent member of the side again

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Well, we’re looking for a new ball bowler now with Amir out of the picture. No one there to partner Shaheen - Hasnain and Rauf are still behind Hassan in the new ball pecking order. In Tests, Abbas might be replaced with Hassan as soon as the SA series this month.

Yup probably, but who will be the third pacer in the test team then? Hassan, Shaheen and then there isn't anyone else apart from Abbas. Or we could just go and pick one of the domestic toilers like Waqas Maqsood etc. Don't think we'll go in with 2 pacers only in Pak.

I like the look of Hasnain opening the bowling in LOIs though. He has some good outswing. But only if Hassan Ali is unable to make opening spot his own.

 

[aloo paratha]

Great interview. And there are people on here who doubted his commitment

 

[Saj]

A few things to mention.

Firstly Hassan is a great character and it's always a pleasure to interview him.

Pakistan cricket needs this type of character who will lift the spirits of the team and make them try that little bit harder as currently this type of player is few and far between in Pakistan cricket.

He's had a tough 16 months or so and I feel this has taught him quite a few things about professionalism and ensuring that he doesn't play when he's not fit, as in the past he has played when not fit.

Some valid points regarding educating players at U16 and U19 level, as well as this desperation to throw young players into international cricket too soon.

Pakistan needs a fit and firing Hassan Ali as he offers the bowling attack a different and useful option, and hopefully he is back to his best once again.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Great stuff Hassan. Educating yourself is key. He has matured a lot.

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

Great stuff Hassan. Educating yourself is key. He has matured a lot.

Exhibiting leadership qualities as well, which is a pleasant surprise.

 

[hur rizvi]

Excellent interview but still I have concerns over his fitness. He was clearly struggling with fitness in QAE trophy final

His work load needs very careful management if he wants to have a lengthy career

 

[205adnan]

Peak hasan ali had a deadly in cutter i.e ball nipping back of the seam which led to him taking number of bowled and lbws . The Wickets of duminy and Parnell are classic examples of that delivery. Because of that he could challenge both the edges however hasan before getting injured completely lost that delivery. Hope he has regained that delivery

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Did he say something about focusing on his batting?

 

[MenInG]

And welcome back to Pakistan squad Hassan

Selected for the series against South Africa

 

[Deewana Mastana]

Seems to be in good nick and has found a place in the Test squad against South Africa, should be good to see in him after a while and see what he can produce at Test level.

 

[Saj]

Deserved recall to the Test squad.

Got fully fit, performed, didn't whine and gave the selectors no option other than to pick him.

 

[QalandarFan]

Dude said people act as if he only performed in the champions trophy and brings up the fact that he took 135 wickets apart from the champions trophy. Volume stats sound great but how about providing averages with those numbers? He clearly had a purple patch in 2017 and hasn't done much if anything since that CT in LOIs to display he belongs in the team, his stats since the start of 2018 are as follows:

Matches - 27
Wickets - 26
Average - 49
Economy Rate - 6.12

But I guess Hasan will look at that as a success because he took double the amount of wickets in that 2 year period compared to the champions trophy. In that same time period Amir averages 34 at an econ of 4.6 but I mean whatever.

 

[aloo paratha]

Dude said people act as if he only performed in the champions trophy and brings up the fact that he took 135 wickets apart from the champions trophy. Volume stats sound great but how about providing averages with those numbers? He clearly had a purple patch in 2017 and hasn't done much if anything since that CT in LOIs to display he belongs in the team, his stats since the start of 2018 are as follows:

Matches - 27
Wickets - 26
Average - 49
Economy Rate - 6.12

But I guess Hasan will look at that as a success because he took double the amount of wickets in that 2 year period compared to the champions trophy. In that same time period Amir averages 34 at an econ of 4.6 but I mean whatever.

So you're gonna ignore 2016 and 2017 when he wasn't being largely overworked/playing with injuries? Also you're gonna look at his worst format during that period? He still had decent test performances against England and New Zealand. He was also decent in T20s in 2018.

Fans like you deserve pathetic bowlers like Amir.

 

[Hasan123]

I'm glad to see him back in the test squad.

 

[Savak]

Deserved recall to the Test squad.

Got fully fit, performed, didn't whine and gave the selectors no option other than to pick him.

Something for Amir and others to learn from

 

[MenInG]

Looks all set to make a comeback

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Interesting to read about that collapsing front leg. He's slightly below 5'9" and because he can't brace it fully, he has one of the lowest release heights among international bowlers. Needs to be extremely accurate. Gets taken for plenty when he misses his length (Asia Cup) or line (World Cup match against India)

 

[Saj]

Interesting to read about that collapsing front leg. He's slightly below 5'9" and because he can't brace it fully, he has one of the lowest release heights among international bowlers. Needs to be extremely accurate. Gets taken for plenty when he misses his length (Asia Cup) or line (World Cup match against India)

Yes. And as he admits, an issue any decent coach should have picked up.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Yes. And as he admits, an issue any decent coach should have picked up.

Yes. This is where someone like Shoaib Akhtar would have been invaluable for Pakistan cricket. He can work with these bowlers at the grassroots level and maybe even train a batch of coaches for each domestic side as well, maybe. Two-fold advantage of leveraging his knowledge and keeping him off social media.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Eyes Forward. Mind Focused. Heart Ready &#55356;&#56821;&#55356;&#56816; <a href="https://t.co/Fm4rdxiS9o">pic.twitter.com/Fm4rdxiS9o</a></p>— Hassan Ali &#55356;&#56821;&#55356;&#56816; (@RealHa55an) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealHa55an/status/1353623789502914560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Eyes Forward. Mind Focused. Heart Ready &#55356;&#56821;&#55356;&#56816; <a href="https://t.co/Fm4rdxiS9o">pic.twitter.com/Fm4rdxiS9o</a></p>— Hassan Ali &#55356;&#56821;&#55356;&#56816; (@RealHa55an) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealHa55an/status/1353623789502914560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Really poor bowling till now Hasan.

 

[MenInG]

Over eager maybe? Lets see what he does in his second spell

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

Not in rhythm.
I noticed this even in the practice sessions.
Burnt himself out from playing 9 first class matches on the trot? Possibly. Only he would know.

 

[Last Monetarist]

It's a tricky balancing act for a fast bowler's workload management.

You don't really want a bowler to be heading into a test series after chugging away in 9-10 first-class matches over 2 months.

The problem for Hasan Ali is that he wasn't probably in the team's long-term test plans and he forced his way through performances.

Under ideal circumstances, the management should have monitored the workload for all fast bowlers playing domestic cricket under the age of 30.

However, at the same time you also want to see if a fast bowler making his way back in the longer-form, such as Hasan, has the stamina to withstand a heavy workload across a long season as the body needs to get used to bowling long spells.

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

He is definitely burnt out and not himself. Saw him limping as well and the burst at the crease and energy are just not there.

 

[Saj]

Later spells were better than his first.

His action looks slightly different and that front knee is collapsing even more.

I guess it's going to take a bit of time before he settles back into international cricket.

 

[MenInG]

Hassan's only wicket today:

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 46.166%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/tzj9lb" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Umpire gave it out and so did Hassan Ali <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PakvSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PakvSA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/EwIMx1BMvH">pic.twitter.com/EwIMx1BMvH</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1354061358409670656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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[JaDed]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Umpire gave it out and so did Hassan Ali <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PakvSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PakvSA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/EwIMx1BMvH">pic.twitter.com/EwIMx1BMvH</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1354061358409670656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Lot of dramatics and average performance would again get him criticized hopefully does a better performance with the bat.

 

[chacha kashmiri]

Should have had two wickets in two balls but for behind the wicket fielding

 

[TheSultan]

The problem with our seam up bowlers are they are at best good support bowlers. There is no leader, there are no new ball specialists. Hassan and Shaheen may thrive as 3rd seamers but not the main bowlers

 

[SensiblePakFan]

Fielders did drop 2 off his bowling.

 

[MenInG]

Hassan Ali out off a no-ball today (decision reversed)

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[Nadeemp]

Did not look the part. Injured, out of rhythm or something. Looked like spent force

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

Did not look the part. Injured, out of rhythm or something. Looked like spent force

He was bowling way quicker a month ago.
At the moment, his body isn't responding to the calls of the mind.
He is fatigued from playing 9 first class matches in a month and a half.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Your profile picture vs the full picture &#55357;&#56836;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvSA</a> <a href="https://t.co/jMw1niI0co">pic.twitter.com/jMw1niI0co</a></p>— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1354724056457596932?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[saad32170]

Has not been at his best so far. Hopefully gets another chance in the second test and performs better.

 

[Savak]

I was not happy with his shot, it is one thing to attempt a shot like that when it is not pitched on the stumps but the ball he chose to play that slog too was very risky, i know he can hit the ball hard but he needs to have better shot selection and not throw away his wicket needlessly.

 

[Ellipsism]

He’s been trundling. This 130-132 kph stuff isn’t good enough.

 

[zacattakk]

It's pretty depressing that he is one of the top fast bowlers in Pakistan.

 

[MenInG]

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First ball of the day!

 

[MenInG]

Drops a catch but Nauman gets the wicket next ball....

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[Mamoon]

People were fooled by performances against associate level batsmen in domestic cricket.

These days, he can only talk. He no longer has the ability to outclass international batsmen unless they give him wickets.

However, when the alternatives are rock thrower Rauf and Naseem “zero talent” Shah or that Hasnain guy who is a less talented, much slower version of Sami at best, you have no choice but to stick with an ordinary bowler like Hassan.

 

[Bigboii]

People were fooled by performances against associate level batsmen in domestic cricket.

These days, he can only talk. He no longer has the ability to outclass international batsmen unless they give him wickets.

However, when the alternatives are rock thrower Rauf and Naseem “zero talent” Shah or that Hasnain guy who is a less talented, much slower version of Sami at best, you have no choice but to stick with an ordinary bowler like Hassan.

Harsh but true!
There aren't many options available in domestics better than him

Guess stick it out with him for couple of seasons and see if any other player emerges with performances and not just "potential"

 

[Pakhs]

Harsh but true!
There aren't many options available in domestics better than him

Guess stick it out with him for couple of seasons and see if any other player emerges with performances and not just "potential"

This guy actually has talent but has a mental issue which lets him down. Just before the dropped catch he was seen on TV waving at some fan or friends laughing and joking. He forgot to stay concentrated on the game and as a result dropped a dolly.

 

[MenInG]

Babar Azam on Hassan Ali:

"I am very satisfied with the performances of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hassan Ali, and am especially happy with the intent shown by Hassan after making a comeback after such a long time; Hassan has played for us in UAE and he has experience of bowling in such conditions"

 

[moghul]

Hasan Ali had a very poor Karachi test, no pace, no direction, not able to put any pressure on the batsmen.

Its only in Pakistan that fast bowlers lose their pace and effectiveness in their mid 20s, in rest of the world they reach their peak at 32.

 

[Saj]

Now called up to the Pakistan T20I squad - He last played a T20I back in May 2019 against England.

 

[Junaids]

I am worried.

I think Hassan Ali can be a Test class third or fourth seamer if he can be much more consistent with the bat - consistent enough to bat at 8.

But he is incapable of being one of the two main pace bowlers, and at 5’8 he always will be.

 

[BigShak]

One annoying thing about Hasan is his lack of control. Even in the domestic games he had times where he sprayed it around and had a high ER.

 

[Firebat]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Misbah-ul-Haq "As a whole package Hassan Ali gives the team an edge. He did an important run out in the first Test, he did well with the bat and he has bowled well throughout the domestic season. He’s bowling well and he’ll get better" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvSA</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1356241960441409540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
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[Firebat]

Misbah speaking to the press:

"Throughout the domestic season Hassan Ali has bowled well and you have to give him some margin for error when you are making your international comeback. Sometimes players can try too hard when they are making a comeback. As a whole package Hassan Ali gives the team an edge. He did an important run out in the first Test, he did well with the bat and he has bowled well throughout the domestic season and was the leading wicket-taker amongst pace-bowlers in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He’s bowling well and he’ll get better. It’s unfair to judge him on just one match, we have to give him time and more matches."

 

[moghul]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Misbah-ul-Haq "As a whole package Hassan Ali gives the team an edge. He did an important run out in the first Test, he did well with the bat and he has bowled well throughout the domestic season. He’s bowling well and he’ll get better" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvSA</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1356241960441409540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
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For whatever reason, Hasan's bowling was not less than pathetic in Karachi test and calling it " he bowled well", simply mind boggling . Hope he bowls better at Pindi.