New Delhi:
Hasan Ali, the Pakistan right-arm pacer who struggled in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup and has not played any competitive cricket since that period, has been ruled out of the Twenty20 International series against Australia due to a back injury. A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said that after the latest MRI reports taken after a rehab period, the doctors had advised Hasan another three to four weeks of rest. "Hasan has been undergoing rehab at the national cricket academy in Lahore but apparently his back problem is taking time to heal," said the official. Hasan is also in doubt for the two Tests which will begin from November 21 against Australia which are part of the ICC World Test Championships.
In the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, Hasan played just four games and picked up two wickets. After two games where he did not take a wicket, Hasan took one wicket against Australia and India but in the game against Pakistan's arch-rivals, he was smashed for 84 runs in nine overs. Before the World Cup, Hasan was expected to be Pakistan's vital cog in the bowling line-up.
In the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, Hasan was one of the star players and he ended with 13 wickets in five games, including a spell of 3/19 against India in the final. In the whole tournament, Hasan took four three-wicket hauls and his spells played an important part in Pakistan recovering from a poor start in the tournament where they were mauled by India.
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Hasan, who has played in 53 ODIs, 30 T20 internationals and nine Tests, is unlikely to be considered for the two Tests in Australia, beginning November 21. Over the three formats, he has taken 148 wickets. However, in the last couple of seasons, Hasan has been plagued by injury. During the series in Zimbabwe, Hasan's bomb-like celebrations proved costly with him suffering a neck strain while doing the celebration. However, the Pakistan pacer was in further controversy when he tried to intimidate Indian soldiers at the Wagah border with his bomb-like celebrations.
