Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali marked his return to international cricket with a maiden five-wicket haul in T20 internationals during the first match of the series against Bangladesh at Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
Hasan, whose last T20I outing was in May 2024 against Ireland, had been sidelined due to an elbow injury sustained during his County Championship stint in July last year.
He then made a sensational comeback in the recently concluded HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10, finishing as the joint-second leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets, which earned him a recall to the national squad.
In his first match back, Hasan made an immediate impact by dismissing Bangladesh’s openers Parvez Hossain Emon and Tanzid Hasan within his opening overs.
He then took two wickets in his third over, removing wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali and Tanzim Hasan Sakib. He sealed his five-wicket haul by catching Shoriful Islam at long off in his final over.
His performance helped bowl out Bangladesh for 164, securing a 37-run victory for Pakistan in the series opener.
Reflecting on his achievement, Hasan described the five-wicket haul as “truly special” and credited the team’s batting for setting a competitive total.
“The plan was straightforward — I just needed to bowl in the right areas,” he said.
“T20 cricket heavily favours batsmen, so developing pace variations becomes crucial. I’m pleased I could execute my variations effectively when it mattered most.”
Hasan also expressed gratitude to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the medical team for their support during his rehabilitation, calling the process “boring” but requiring dedication and passion.
“Facing a potentially career-ending injury made me deeply appreciate the PCB and my physio’s incredible support,” he added.
The win marked a positive start for newly-appointed Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson, whose instructions to play a modern and aggressive brand of T20 cricket appeared to be embraced by the team.
“Hesson’s philosophy was clear — play modern, aggressive T20 cricket. We executed the fundamentals well, and I’m sure he’s satisfied with our performance,” Hasan said.
Pakistan will look to build on this momentum in the remainder of the T20I series against Bangladesh.
