The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled the World Cup 2023 squad on September 22nd. Fans had anticipated the inclusion of fresh faces in the squad following Pakistan’s poor performance in the Asia Cup 2023. However, both Babar Azam and Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq displayed unwavering confidence in their existing players, opting not to make any surprising alterations to the squad. The sole exception to this decision was the enforced change due to Naseem Shah’s unfortunate injury, which led to Hasan Ali’s inclusion in the squad.
Hasan Ali’s selection has sparked numerous questions among cricket lovers. Nonetheless, many experts have commended the management’s choice to bring back the seasoned paceman in the absence of the injured Naseem Shah. Today, we try to assess whether Hasan Ali’s inclusion in the squad is justified or not.
Inzamam-ul-Haq about Hasan Ali’s Selection
Hasan Ali replaced injured fast bowler Naseem Shah in the Pakistan ODI World Cup squad after a year. Shah suffered a right shoulder injury during the Asia Cup 2023 match against India. In June 2022, he last played in an ODI game against the West Indies.
Hasan Ali’s selection was justified by Inzamam-ul-Haq due to his experience and injuries to other pace bowlers.
“We were forced to make one change [Hasan Ali] because of an unfortunate injury to Naseem Shah,” said Inzamam-ul-Haq. “Our fast bowlers are facing injuries, [Mohammad] Hasnain has an ankle injury and is out injured and so is Ihsanullah, so Hasan Ali has been included in the team based on experience.”
“Since Naseem is out, we needed a bowler who could bowl with a new ball, and I think Hasan Ali is a very good choice in that regard.” he further explained
Statical View of Hasan Ali’s Selection
Hasan Ali was dropped from the white ball national team due to poor form. But he performed well in the different levels of the game. He shows his experience and class in the county and LPL. Hasan recently took 24 wickets at 21.58 in the county cricket (first-class).
In this year’s PSL, which was played on high-scoring grounds, he took 13 wickets at 22.84 and bowled with an economy of 9.28. He was the best bowler in the last five overs with an economy of 8.60.
Hasan played five matches in T20 Blast 2023, another tournament with high scoring rates, and took nine wickets while conceding just 6.78 runs per match. He replicated the same performance in the LPL and took 8 wickets in five matches.
Why Hasan is prefer over Zaman Khan, Arshad Iqbal, Aamer Jamal or Shahnawaz Dahani?
Many fans have raised questions regarding Hasan Ali’s selection over Zaman Khan, Arshad, and other emerging talents. However, there is a legitimate argument to consider. Pakistan already has an inexperienced bowler in Wasim Jr., and the team opted to avoid taking a risk with another rookie.
Going with an experience is not something unusual. In 2019, Wahab Riaz returned to the ODI team after two years of absence. Besides bowling well, he also contributed to the win with a batting cameo. Even Amir was uncertain for World Cup 2019 because he was struggling to take wickets for a year but in the World Cup, he ended up as Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker.
Due to injuries, South Africa also had to rely on Andile Phehlukwayo due to the absence of Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala. Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar are being considered to replace Axar Patel in India.
Hasan can become a Wild Card for Pakistan
Hasan Ali can be a wild card for Pakistan if he somehow plays on his old good length deliveries he can be useful for Green Shirts in middle overs along with Haris Rauf and one spinner. In addition, Hasan Ali is also capable of hitting big shots at the end, making him a useful batter.
Hasan Ali’s selection in the World Cup squad, replacing Naseem Shah, appears to be a better decision at the moment. With first-choice players like Hasnain and Ihsanullah sidelined due to injuries, it’s essential to have experienced bowlers in the lineup. While Zaman Khan has only played one ODI match and has limited exposure in 50-over cricket, Hasan Ali’s track record speaks for itself.
Injury can sometimes be a golden ticket to success for another player. It would not have been possible for Naseem to be here if Shaheen hadn’t been injured last year. Hopefully, Hasan will take advantage of the opportunity as Naseem did, and we will see the Hasan we saw in 2017.
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