ENG vs PAK | Hasan Ali rested for T20I opener as a precautionary measure after strain

In the lead up to the first T20I between Pakistan and England, the visitors have been dealt with a piece of bad news, as their star pacer, Hasan Ali has been rested from the opening fixture as a precautionary measure after he suffered a strain on his left leg. Hasan suffered the tweak during the training session in Trent Bridge, ahead of the game, which now has ruled him out of the opening fixture. 

Having picked six wickets in the recently concluded ODI series, including a five-wicket haul for just 51 runs in the second ODI, Ali made a timely comeback into the Pakistan side, having suffered the wrath of several injuries in the past. While he was initially haunted by a back injury that ruled him out of action for a year, it was later extended to 20 months, with another groin injury. 

In T20Is this year, Ali has picked up 13 wickets for the national team, his second-highest tally in a year since his debut, his absence would come as a jolter for Pakistan, who were swept aside comfortably in the three-match ODI series against England, earlier this month. While PCB announced that he wouldn’t be part of the first clash, it is yet to be seen if the pacer makes a comeback during the series.