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Opinion
Hasan Ali has said that Waqar Younis was his inspiration and the reason he became a fast bowler for Pakistan.
Following his injury at the 2019 ODI World Cup that kept him out of the game for almost two years, Hasan made his comeback in the 2020-21 season of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He was the leading wicket-taker of the season and scored a memorable match-saving innings for his team in the final, which ended in a draw.
That performance eventually catapulted him into Pakistan’s Test squad, which allowed him to work straight under the guidance of his hero, Younis, who was Pakistan’s bowling coach at the time.
The all-rounder played an instrumental role in Pakistan’s historic series win against Faf du Plessis’s South Africa. He continued his good form till the World Cup. On that journey, his team managed to win as many as six away series from eight.
Hasan Ali was at the centre of everyone’s expectations as Pakistan went on to beat South Africa, England and West Indies in the process.
But as soon as Misbah ul-Haq and Waqar Younis decided to part ways with Pakistan’s national team, Hasan’s form declined spectacularly.
He finished the T20 World Cup in UAE as one of the villains of Pakistan’s defeat in the semi-finals. Not once in the tournament did he look like the bowler he used to be
For anyone compensating for Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf’s inexperience all the way to the World Cup, his decline was rapid. He performed poorly against West Indies and Bangladesh and was heavily criticised for his lack of contribution going into the Australian Test series.
Many of his supporters protested that though he had lost some of his bite, his class was permanent and he would bounce back against a stronger opponent.
However, things have stayed pretty much the same since then. With pitches prepared to aid Pakistan’s batsmen against the Australian pace battery, the fast bowlers had little to play with in all their Test matches. While Australia exploited reverse swing at certain moments of play, the home team lacked any bite whatsoever.
Hasan, for one, wore a forlorn expression.
With his bowling out of sorts, his batting has looked equally helpless against the Australian pace battery. It’s been one series too many for the man, and it’s time for Pakistan Cricket Board to think beyond him.
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