Alongside enchanting wedding photos, he captioned, “Thank you everyone for the warm and lovely wishes. Here is to the love and laughter with the special one.” However, it’s the quirky comment beneath his post that truly caught the eye and went viral – “Congratulations bhai.” Yes, you read that right. Shaheen Shah Afridi congratulated himself, leaving netizens both baffled and amused.

Hasan Ali, once a standout performer following his exceptional display in the 2017 Champions Trophy, has seen a decline in his cricketing journey over the last four years.

The setback came when Naseem Shah, a pivotal component of Pakistan’s fast bowling attack alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, suffered a shoulder injury during the 2023 Asia Cup. This injury ruled Naseem out of the forthcoming World Cup, scheduled in India.

With Naseem no longer available, Pakistan faced the daunting task of selecting his replacement for the World Cup. Their choice fell upon Hasan Ali, who had risen to prominence by earning the Player of the Series accolade in the 2017 Champions Trophy.

This decision prompts an essential question: was Hasan Ali’s inclusion in the World Cup squad a well-considered move, or did circumstances compel Pakistan’s hand?

Hasan Ali’s journey since the 2019 World Cup has been a rollercoaster ride. After an expensive outing against India at Old Trafford in Manchester during the World Cup, where he conceded 84 runs in a single league match, Hasan Ali endured a prolonged absence from ODI cricket, only returning after a hiatus of 21 months.

His comeback featured a notable five-wicket haul against England at Lord’s, marking his reentry into the 50-over format. However, his consistency wavered, and he made sporadic appearances, often vanishing from the ODI scene.

Since the 2019 World Cup, Hasan Ali has participated in a mere seven ODIs, accumulating nine wickets at an average of 42.44. Apart from the standout performance against England, his contributions have been modest, raising doubts about his suitability for a major tournament like the World Cup.

In the face of these challenges, Pakistan found themselves with limited options, as chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq acknowledged during the squad announcement. Inzamam conveyed a sense of helplessness, citing the injury woes of several fast bowlers, including Naseem Shah.

Inzamam, however, showed faith in Hasan Ali, highlighting his impressive performances for the Dambulla Aura in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2023. Hasan Ali claimed eight wickets, including two three-wicket hauls, in just five matches, rekindling hope in his capabilities.

The paucity of viable alternatives made Hasan Ali an apparent choice. Pakistan’s fast bowlers have picked up 197 wickets since the 2019 World Cup, with the lion’s share (78.68 percent) attributed to Rauf, Shaheen, Naseem, and Mohammad Wasim Jr. The rest of the fast bowlers, including Hasan Ali, have contributed significantly fewer wickets.

Inzamam cited the urgent need to find a bowler who could partner Shaheen Shah Afridi with the new ball, and Hasan Ali seemed to fit the bill. His ability to make an impact with both the new and old ball, coupled with his team-oriented approach and energetic presence, weighed in his favor.

Hasan Ali’s career trajectory has been marked by numerous hurdles over the past four years, including a pivotal dropped catch during the T20 World Cup semi-final in 2021. With his selection for the World Cup, Hasan Ali now faces the challenge of reigniting his international career on one of cricket’s grandest stages.

However, when approached for clarification, a senior player from the team categorically refuted these reports. He emphasized that the team’s primary focus remains unwaveringly on cricket, with little concern for external critiques. In his own words, “The team’s sole focus is on cricket, and we are not concerned about the critics. Losing a match gives our critics an opportunity to voice their opinions, but these are merely negative speculations.”

Furthermore, he clarified, “In the team meeting, everyone shared their thoughts, but there is no truth to the rumors of a verbal altercation or the coaching staff needing to intervene. Everyone left the meeting together, and many teammates traveled back to Pakistan on the same flight.”

This statement aims to put to rest any doubts regarding the camaraderie and unity within the Pakistan cricket team, reinforcing their commitment to their shared objectives on the field.

In the opening contest of the two-match series, Sri Lanka chose to bat first, and it was in his second over that Shaheen made his mark. He dismissed Nishan Madushka, who was caught behind after scoring just four runs.

Last year, at the same venue, Shaheen had reached 99 wickets in his 25th Test match when a knee injury forced him to take a break from the game.

Since his international debut in 2018, the 23-year-old pace spearhead has already amassed an impressive total of 134 wickets in white-ball matches. He has emerged as a star bowler for the team led by Babar Azam, showcasing his immense talent and potential.

Khan believes it would have been more advantageous if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had disallowed them from participating in such leagues. He specifically highlighted Shaheen Afridi’s situation, noting that the left-arm pacer, who has recently returned from an injury, has struggled in the two matches he has played so far. Khan emphasized the importance of focusing on Shaheen’s fitness and rest, considering his crucial role as the backbone of the Pakistan team.

Shaheen’s performance in the tournament has been below his usual standards, despite his consistent participation. In his last four matches, he has only managed to secure four wickets with an economy rate of 8.50.

Furthermore, Junaid raised concerns about Shadab Khan, who has also faced fitness issues recently. Shadab’s collision with teammate Nathan McAndrew while attempting a catch during his debut for Sussex highlighted the risks associated with his participation.

Junaid suggested that the PCB should carefully consider these matters, taking into account the fitness status of senior players. He mentioned that while young players from the national side can benefit from participating in leagues like the T20 Blast to gain experience, there should be accountability and consideration for the potential consequences of injuries to key players.

He mentioned players like Usama Mir and Zaman Khan, who are participating in the league to learn and develop their skills, similarly to how he gained valuable experience during his own career. Junaid questioned who would be held responsible if injuries were to occur to players like Shaheen and Shadab during such tournaments.

Pakistan is flying in the ODI series against New Zealand at home. After winning the first four of the five matches, Babar Azam’s team became number one in the ODI rankings for the first time.

Pakistan-New Zealand will meet today in the fifth and final match of the series. The hosts are confident after four straight wins.
Before embarking on the whitewash mission, Afridi spoke about his dream in an interview given to the country’s popular media Geo News.
Such performance of the Pakistan team ahead of the upcoming World Cup and Asia Cup is satisfactory. That’s why Pakistan’s star pacer Shaheen Afridi is dreaming big about his team. He said, “God willing, we will win the final of the World Cup and the Asia Cup this time.”

The ODI World Cup is going to be held in India in October this year. Bilateral series with India is unfamiliar to Pakistan’s young cricketers. However, he does not think that the conditions of neighboring countries will be very different. Afridi said, ‘India’s condition will not be much different for us. We will try to take advantage of that in the World Cup.

In response to Shadab’s tweet, Afridi said, “My expectation from Shaheen is to perform with the ball first, as Pakistan depends on his early success (break throw). “I know he is working hard on his batting as well and we have seen what he can do,” said the former captain.

Shaheen, who excels in the bowling department, had earlier said that he wants to help the Men in Green win with his batting skills.
Ahead of the series with the Black Caps, the 23-year-old speedster said, “I am slowly learning the art of batting so that it helps Pakistan.” I want to win matches for Pakistan irrespective of my batting position.’

Shaheen said that he was interested in batting since the Under-19 team, but never gave it a chance. But the opportunity came recently, as he took a lot of batting practice during his rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, former star cricketer Shahid Afridi also wished the Pakistani team good luck for the fifth and last match of the series.

He also said that Shaheen is leading the team very well. Handles everything with a cool head. So as a bowler and a player, I am proud to have a captain like him. Guides players very subtly and doesn’t get frustrated or angry when a player does poorly. The star of Pakistan also said that Shaheen plays a positive role. One thing I like about Shaheen Afridi is that Shaheen is much calmer than in other years. As a result, youngsters can ask him anything without any hesitation.

The 24-year-old star also spoke about the three-pace attack of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Zaman Khan in the Lahore Qalandars team. He commented that they can take over the entire game at any moment of the match.

Shaheen Shah Afridi took a wicket with a maximum of 39 runs in four overs against Karachi Kings on Sunday. Why is a star bowler like him suddenly getting beaten? According to father-in-law Afridi, watching Shaheen’s bowling. I think he is bowling quite far off the stumps. If you are bowling from a long distance then getting it in form is very important. And that is not an easy matter. He also said I think he needs to be more careful with his use of the crease. Use creases to take advantage.

He should have bowled closer to the stumps. In this case, we talked about Wasim Akram. But he took advantage of the ball from the stumps. According to Afridi, Shaheen should watch his previous bowling videos and correct his mistakes. He is trying so hard. And that’s why the death over is beating. He was trying to bowl too many yorkers, which were getting full-tossed and hitting sixes. He should watch the previous video and correct the mistakes. Following the bowling style of the time when he bowled well.