Fast bowler Hasan Ali on leading the Pakistan attack in the Champions Trophy, and the influence his older brother has had on the way he bowls
Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi20-Jun-2017It’s almost time to break his fast. We have been chatting for half an hour. Hasan Ali is hungry. A box of cookies lies near him. Hasan refuses to look at it because he is resisting anything that has sugar in it. He will not compromise on fitness, the biggest thing he has learnt a player needs to maintain to be successful in international cricket.Almost a year since his international debut last August, Hasan has already broken many records. On Sunday, he took the final Indian wicket to signal Pakistan’s triumph in the Champions Trophy. He led the tournament’s wickets chart with 13 dismissals. Only 23 years old, Hasan, his coaches say, is well settled. Sure enough, he speaks like a leader.How did you become a fast bowler?
I started playing cricket, like many in Pakistan – in the [I had a passion]. So your brother has been the force behind your rise?
The one big moment in my young days arrived when I was 13. [older brother]. For me, he sacrificed his food, his sleep, everything.Your home town of Gujranwala is famous for producing wrestlers, not cricketers. You don’t look like a wrestler, but you also don’t look like a fast bowler with your lean physique.
I am short. Physically also, I am not imposing. During my young days, if I told people I was a fast bowler, they would not believe me. But when I bowled, they would nod their heads and say there is something in this boy. My strength has always been to work hard. – is never to be afraid of anyone. Tell yourself you are the best, have belief and stay calm. And never forget to work hard.You have even overshadowed your senior bowling partners like Mohammad Amir.
Amir bomb [It’s like a bomb that explodes as soon as I take a wicket]. I did not learn it from anyone. I just wanted to be different. I wanted people to remember me with that celebration. My hand goes down, then both hands come up and then I tilt my face upwards to thank the almighty. I started this celebration in the PSL.How has the PSL helped you skills-wise?
When I joined Peshawar Zalmi, we also had Shaun Tait in the squad. I asked him when he bowled at his fastest. He said when he was about 22. He would just head to the nets and try bowling the fastest he could.How important is bowling fast to you?
I bowl according to the conditions. Pace does not matter if you bowl at 140kph or 150kph. If you have pace, you can ally it with your skills. Recently, during the West Indies ODI series I clocked 146kph. Even in the Champions Trophy, I crossed the 140-mark a few times. It feels good when you bowl 145kph and people tell you “well done, good pace”. It boosts you.What has this first year in international cricket taught you?
The biggest and most important thing is fitness. If you are fit, you can give your 100%, otherwise you cannot. You need to focus. You need to have a plan. You need to know what you are going to bowl. You need to understand where to bowl to whom.So have your eating habits also changed?
I have almost stopped eating anything sweet. For the past few months I have not been eating rice and roti. I am eating all these disgusting things that have no taste. Now I eat mostly grilled food. Having come from a desi place, I have eaten different stuff from birth. Now, when I go home I tell ammi [mother] and bhabhi [sister-in-law] the few things I can eat.What is the biggest gift you have given your brother?
The golden ball award is for him. Also, when I won the Man-of-the-Match award against England in the semi-final, it was for him as it was his birthday the next day.
