ZIM vs PAK | Delighted that the hard work I put in is finally paying off, expresses Hasan Ali

Returning from a two-year hiatus in the longest format, Hasan Ali impressed in the South Africa Tests, picking 12 wickets in 2 matches, but he took his game to a whole new level against Zimbabwe. Ali picked 14 wickets across two Tests at an astounding average of 8.92, and the remarkable showing saw him be named the Man of the Series. The purple patch did not come out of anywhere for the 26-year-old, who spent the last two years toiling hard in the domestic circuit, and speaking post Pakistan's 2-0 series win, the right-armer expressed delight over the fact that he was finally being rewarded for his hard work. 

"First I would like to thank almighty Allah. It's been a good tour for me. I'm very happy. I had hard work in the previous one year. It is paying off and I'm looking forward to continue this performance for my team,” Ali was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo.  

Injuries have meant that Ali has lost a bit of extra pace that he once possessed, but against Zimbabwe, the right-armer compensated for it by improving his accuracy. Ali bowled stump to stump and reaped rewards for the same, picking 4 or more wickets thrice in the series. Ali revealed that his plan was to bowl straight and let batsmen make the mistakes and further heaped praise on his teammates for putting up a clinical showing.

“It's been a good tour for me. The pitch wasn't good for bowling, getting slower every day. But the plan was simple, keep bowling stump to stump and let the batsmen make mistakes.

“Whenever you execute well, it's a pleasurable moment for me. I want to thank other bowlers who were doing good and supporting me as well, Shaheen and Nauman Ali bowling very well in the second innings as well.”

With 26 wickets in 4 Tests at a remarkable average of 13.88, Ali is currently the fourth-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket in 2021.