Everyone knows what a great player MS Dhoni is: Hasan Ali

Team Pakistan has always been known to be the breeding ground of quality pace bowlers. The latest to join the roster is Hasan Ali. He has made giant strides in international cricket and was one of the top performers for Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy this year. Hasan recently raced to 50 ODI scalps and was the fastest from his nation to do so. Needless to concede, his rise to the top has been worth watching.

Recently, as per the quotes in The Tribune, Hasan Ali spoke at length about his cricketing memories in international cricker thus far. Recalling the best moments, Hasan singled out the match against South Africa in the Champions Trophy this year to be the one. It was a must win game and he had dismissed Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy, and Wayne Parnell in that match.

“I think the delivery I bowled to Wayne Parnell in the Champions Trophy is certainly up there. I see all my spells equally since they all helped Pakistan. I think the Champions Trophy matches against South Africa, England and the final against India, I would rate them highly,” quoted Hasan Ali.

On his favorite scalp

Adding further on the same note, Hasan Ali recalled the final match of the Champions Trophy. He mentioned that getting the wicket of MS Dhoni gave him a lot of pleasure. He cited that Dhoni is arguably one of the greats of the game. And hence, dismissing him was a special feeling indeed.

“Everyone knows what a great player Dhoni is. So it is natural to feel great when you can dismiss someone who is well known for finishing games. His wicket in the final gave me a lot of joy,” conceded the pace bowling sensation.

On bowling in tandem with Mohammad Amir

Ever since he has made it to the national side, Hasan has been bowling in tandem with Mohammad Amir. When asked about his rapport with Amir, the youngster conceded that Amir is an exceptional bowler. In fact, if someone of Virat Kohli’s stature finds Amir difficult to play, then it in itself is a testimony of how good a bowler Amir is.

“Recently, someone as big as Kohli said that he finds it hard to face him [Amir]. It is nothing short of a dream to bowl with Amir. He is a star bowler. He is back after a gap of five years, so I feel happy bowling with him,” mentioned Ali.

On the plethora of cricket being played

While most cricketers find it tough to play too much of cricket these days, Hasan Ali seems to be of a different crop. He mentioned that he is managing his work load pretty well. Morever, the reason why he opted to play in the BPL this year was because of a calendar gap in the international fixtures of Pakistan. He rightly stressed on the fact that getting to the top is easy, but staying at the top is the real test for any cricketer.

“I am a rhythm bowler, so it is best if I continue playing. I came to the BPL because there was a gap in the calendar. I can’t rest for more than five or 10 days. I came to the BPL after speaking to the head coach. You have to look after yourself as a professional cricketer who wants to compete at the highest level. Maybe you can become the number one bowler in the world, but to stay on top is the real test. You have to take care of your training, diet and sleeping patterns,” concluded Hasan Ali.