Mohammad Akram on Hasan Ali: “He was absolutely our first choice and we had no doubt about retaining him. The kid [Hasan] started with us and we even picked him up at times when he was injured. Even this year he was the first name on top, but he was convinced that he needs move on”
Image courtesy of: Pakistan Super League
Peshawar Zalmi head coach Mohammad Akram has claimed that pace bowler Hasan Ali didn’t want to play for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise anymore and “was convinced that he needs move on”.
This comes after people were surprised when the Zalmi didn’t retain Hasan for PSL 6, especially given how well he performed in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
Akram made it clear that Hasan “was absolutely our first choice and we had no doubt about retaining him”.
However, he added that the seamer decided that it was time for a fresh start somewhere else.
“He was absolutely our first choice and we had no doubt about retaining him,” Akram told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the PSL draft on Sunday. “The kid [Hasan] started with us and we even picked him up at times when he was injured. Even this year he was the first name on top, but he was convinced that he needs move on.
“So now we have to start afresh and start rebuilding all over again. It’s been five years and we have done well playing three finals and winning one, but now it’s time to reassess our options as there have been player availability issues. So retaining only five players means we are better off going into the draft.”
Hasan made his comeback in the recently-concluded Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he captained Central Punjab.
He finished as the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the competition with 43 wickets in nine matches at an average of 20.06.
With the number of wickets he claimed, Hasan had the most wickets among pace bowlers in this year’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
He also got the job done with the bat in the final against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as he smashed an unbeaten 106, which came off 61 balls and included 10 boundaries and seven sixes.
His efforts nearly helped Central Punjab defend their title, but instead, the match ended as a tie and the trophy was shared between the two teams.
PSL 6 will get underway on February 20 and conclude on March 22.