Back injury likely to keep Hasan Ali out of action for six months

Hasan Ali, the Pakistan fast bowler, has suffered yet another setback due to his recurring back injury. The 25-year-old is now set to be out of action for the next six months. Back in 2019, the speedster already spent loads of time off the field owing back problems and fractured ribs. He came back to play for the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2020 edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

In the tournament, he picked up eight wickets from nine matches. His best figures of 2/35 for the Zalmi came against the Islamabad United in Rawalpindi. As far as playing for Pakistan is concerned, he hasn’t donned the national jersey since the 2019 edition of the World Cup. It was after the match against India at the Old Trafford in Manchester that Hasan hasn’t played for Pakistan.

For the time being, regarding his injury, Cricket Pakistan reported that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is monitoring the situation. It’s been learned that the board has reached out to doctors overseas in order to assess the depth of Hasan’s injury. There could also be a surgery in the future, but a decision will be taken after keeping in mind the opinions of the doctors.

Hasan Ali excluded from PCB’s central contracts

Hasan recently missed out on getting PCB’s central contract. The speedster was one of those big names, along with fellow pacemen Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Amir to miss out. Among the contracted players, Babar Azam, the recently appointed ODI skipper, and Azhar Ali found their way into Category A. The duo replaced former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and spinner Yasir Shah.

Back in 2016, the Punjab-born Hasan forayed into international cricket and played a key role in Pakistan’s glory run in the 2017 Champions Trophy in England. Due to his decent show, he also got the Emerging Player of the Year award. But from there onwards, the seamer has had his troubles.

In nine Tests, 53 ODIs and 30 T20Is, Hasan Ali has picked up 31, 82 and 35 wickets respectively to go with four five-wicket hauls. He is no mug with the bat either, having scored a couple of ODI fifties against South Africa and New Zealand with a top score of 59 at the Kingsmead in Durban.