Sportsman Spirit Doesn’t Mean Bowlers Should Hug The Batsman After Hitting Him On The Helmet - Hasan Ali

Senior Pakistan speedster Hasan Ali speaks about the sportsman spirit between batsman and the bowler when the batter is struck on the helmet.

Recently, in the ongoing PSL 2021, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Afridi were involved in a verbal spat during a game between Quetta Gladiators and Lahore Qalandars. Shaheen sent down a bouncer that hit Sarfaraz Ahmed on his helmet; he ran a quick single and while walking at the non-striker’s end, Sarfaraz Ahmed was seen gesturing at Shaheen to tone down the aggression.

The bowler, however, wasn’t impressed with the batsman’s suggestion and then charged towards Sarfaraz and both had a verbal tussle.

Hasan Ali, who plays for Islamabad United in the PSL 2021, says that while it’s fine for a bowler to check on the batsman in such a situation, but one shouldn’t expect anything more from him.

“If you hit a batsman on his helmet, you should ask him once if he is okay because that is part of sportsman spirit. But that doesn’t mean that I will hug him and start talking to him. It’s all part of the game and nobody wants to bowl deliveries which go for fours and sixes.

“Having asked the batsman’s well-being once, the job shifts to the medical panel to carry out the concussion test as it’s not my responsibility to do the treatment as well,” Hasan Ali told website ‘Cricket Pakistan’.

As a senior bowler, I have to take responsibility: Hasan Ali

Hasan Ali, who was Player of the Tournament in the 2017 Champions Trophy, has taken the senior bowler’s role in the Islamabad side which passing on his knowledge to the likes of Mohammad Wasim Jr, Akif Javed, Ali Khan, and Faheem Ashraf.

The league stage of the PSL 2021, staged in the UAE, is completed with Islamabad United topping the points table; they will face second-placed Multan Sultans in Qualifier on Monday, while Peshawar Zalmi will face Karachi Kings in Eliminator 1. Both the matches are on Monday.

Hasan Ali is his team’s best bowler so far, with 12 wickets to his name in 8 matches at an economy of 6.28.

“As a senior bowler, I have to take responsibility and that’s what I’m trying to do. I think [Mohammad] Wasim jnr has bowled really well, apart from one game, in, both, Karachi and Abu Dhabi-leg. Akif Javed has made a comeback after a long time but he has been impressive as well. 

“It’s tough due to hot and humid conditions but on the flip side, this also helps the bowlers in generating swing and seam with the new ball. As a professional, weather is out of control so we should only concentrate on things we can control such as our bowling,” the seamer added.

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