"Nobody slept" - Hasan Ali hits back at Mohammad Hafeez's claims about Pakistan players in Australia dressing room
Published - 25 Jul 2024, 04:37 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:16 AM
Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali has reacted to former team director Mohammad Hafeez's comments about players sleeping during the Test series against Australia in December-January. Hasan Ali mentioned that fast bowlers might need short naps for recovery after bowling for extended periods in a Test match.
Mohammad Hafeez was in charge of the Pakistan team during the Test tour of Australia and the T20I series in New Zealand. The Men in Green secured only one win out of eight games during Hafeez's tenure from November 2023 to February 2024. The PCB decided to part ways with him after the disappointing results.
On the Club Prairie Fire Podcast, Hafeez highlighted the low fitness levels of Pakistan players during his tenure. Mohammad Hafeez revealed that 4-5 players used to sleep in the dressing room during Test matches. He questioned whether it was acceptable for several players to be sleeping while the team was playing.
Could Take A 20-30 Minute Nap - Hasan Ali
In a recent interview, Hasan Ali mentioned he wasn’t aware of players sleeping in the dressing room. Hasan added that players not in the playing XI and management were present in the dugout. Hasan also noted that fast bowlers might need short naps for recovery after bowling for one and a half days.
"I don't know, actually, but it should be the way Hafeez said. I don't think anyone slept in the dressing room after that. When Hafeez said that I was not part of the first game, all the players who were not part of the playing XI were sitting in the dugout watching the game. Even the management was sitting there. But I would say especially for the fast bowlers, when you bowl for one and a half days you need to recover, and you could take a 20-30 minute nap, but for those who feel like they need," Hasan said.
Mohammad Hafeez is known as one of the finest cricketers in Pakistan cricket. The former right-handed batter scored almost 13,000 runs and took over 250 wickets in 392 matches across all formats. He also captained Pakistan in one Test, two ODIs, and 29 T20 Internationals in his international career.
We Had To Follow It - Hasan Ali
Hasan Ali said that the management previously allowed fast bowlers to take short naps for recovery. The right-arm pacer mentioned that players had to follow the rule if Mohammad Hafeez had set one against sleeping in the dressing room.
"In the past, the management set the rule that if someone needed a nap for recovery, especially the fast bowlers, they could do that. But if Hafeez, as the head coach and director of Cricket, said no one was going to sleep, then fair enough. If he set the rule, we had to follow it," he added.
Pakistan has been facing criticism, especially after their group-stage exit during the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA. The Men in Green lost to the USA and India before recording wins against Canada and Ireland. Pakistan will be next seen in action during the series against Bangladesh in August.
