Hasan Ali selected in Pakistan's World Series squad


Hasan Ali has been roped in Pakistan’s ODI World Series squad to replace injured Naseem Shah, who has been ruled of the tournament

Pakistan have also drafted leg spinner Usama Mir, who made his ODI debut earlier this year against New Zealand but was not included in the Asia ODI Series squad.  Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Wasim form the remaining Pakistan’s pace prowess, while Mohammad Haris is picked as a reserve player. Spin bowling all rounder Mohammad Nawas also retains his place in the side, while Faheem Ashram misses the final cut. 

“Naseem was injured, he was our main bowler and it was unfortunate. [Mohammad] Hasnain has an ankle injury and is out injured and so is Ihsanullah," Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan's chief selector, said on the current situation of the express bowlers.  "If you see how Hasan Ali performed in the LPL, or other performances, he has performed better than most. He is an experienced bowler who has played big mega events for Pakistan and performed well in them.

"And when Naseem was ruled out, we needed someone who could bowl with the new ball. He bowls well with both old and new ball, and is a team man. His presence lends energy to the team."

As reported earlier, Naseem Injury, who picked a shoulder injury during the recently concluded Asia ODI Series, with the Pakistan chief selector confirming his term of unavailability would not be limited to just the ODI World Series. 

"Unfortunately, the report we have from our doctors, we hear Naseem will be out for a longer time than just the World Cup," Inzamam said. "At this time, he was the world's best bowler in my view. It's a loss for Pakistan and we hope he's fit soon."

Hasan played his last ODI back in June 2022.   

The announcement of the Pakistan’s World Series squad was delayed by quite a few days as the Pakistan Cricket Board considered stock of a substandard Asia ODI Series campaign where they finished bottom of the Super Four Group after defeats to India and Sri Lanka. The board were also contemplating on Naseem’s untimely injury. 

The Board issued a statement on Thursday saying chairman Zaka Ashraf had met with skipper Babar Azam, his deputy Shadab Khan, technical committee members Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez, along with head coach Grant Bradburn and bowling coach Morne Morkel. Amid intense speculation about the timing and nature of Pakistan's squad announcement, a discussion took place, although specific details were not disclosed. Adding to the intrigue, Hafeez resigned from the technical committee just before the squad was released.

Despite currently holding the No. 1 ranking in ODIs, Pakistan's preparations for the World Cup have been challenging. They suffered a heavy loss to India and a heartbreaking defeat against Sri Lanka, leading to their elimination from the Asia Cup. The frequent travel between Pakistan and Sri Lanka took a toll on the team, and they also had to grapple with injuries. Naseem and Haris missed games, while Afridi, Agha Salman, and Imam-ul-Haq dealt with various niggles and bruises.

Pakistan will commence their World Cup campaign with a warm-up match against New Zealand on September 29, which will be played behind closed doors. This will be followed by another warm-up match against Australia on October 3. Their first official game in the tournament is scheduled against Netherlands on October 6 in Hyderabad.