Hasan Ali: “My inspiration is Shoaib Akhtar. I watched one of his interviews where he said a fast bowler should look like a gangster, have long hair and shirt buttons should be opened. This is why I have long hair”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali joked the reason he has long hair is because legendary seamer Shoaib Akhtar said fast bowlers should look like gangsters.
Hasan’s long hair has become a hot topic as of late, with some people saying it looks good, while others want him to revert back to having shorter hair.
Regardless of public opinion, it appears as if the 31-year-old’s current hairstyle is here to stay.
“My inspiration is Shoaib Akhtar. I watched one of his interviews where he said a fast bowler should look like a gangster, have long hair and shirt buttons should be opened. This is why I have long hair (laughs),” he was quoted as saying by journalist Farid Khan on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Hasan recently made his comeback to the Pakistan team and picked up eight wickets in three T20Is against Bangladesh in Lahore, which included a career-best five-wicket haul, at an average of 11.12 and an economy rate of 9.53.
He then missed the T20I tour of Bangladesh as he represented the Birmingham Bears in the Vitality Blast.
Following that, the Gujranwala native returned for the limited overs tour of the West Indies and began by taking one wicket in two T20Is at an average of 86 and an economy rate of 12.28.
The three-match ODI series came after and Hasan ended up with two wickets in two games at an average of 47.50.
Hasan fared a lot better in the T20I tri-series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan as he took three wickets in the one match he played at an average of 15.66 and an economy rate of 11.75.
Pakistan are now participating in the 2025 Asia Cup, which is being held in the UAE.
So far, Hasan has yet to be included in the playing XI for any of the matches the men in green have played.
Pakistan started with a 93-run win over Oman before losing to India by seven wickets.
They rebounded to take down the UAE by 41 runs, which also booked their spot in the Super Four.
The men in green will be back in action on September 21 when they face India in Dubai.
Pakistan squad for UAE T20I tri-series and 2025 Asia Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem