'He Was Effective…': Dale Steyn Impressed by 'This' Pakistan Bowler

image-lnfp9t67Hasan made a welcome return to the ODI format against the Netherlands. (Getty)

Former South African pace bowler Dale Steyn showered rich praise on Pakistan's pacer Hasan Ali for his spirited spell with the ball against the Netherlands.

Pakistan secured a commanding 81-run victory over the Netherlands in their opening match of the 2023 ODI World Cup on October 6th. Despite the Netherlands' efforts to chase down 287 runs, Pakistan's bowlers, including Hasan Ali, played a vital role in defending the target on a favourable batting pitch. 

While the batting performances of Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan shone brightly, Hasan Ali's contributions were equally noteworthy.

Making his comeback to the ODI format after a gap of 16 months, Hasan performed admirably. He scalped two wickets, one with the new ball and one with the old ball, conceding only 33 runs in his seven-over spell. 

Steyn praised Hasan's performance, highlighting that the right-arm seamer hadn't opened the bowling for a while. However, Hasan made a significant impact, employing effective lines and lengths rather than attempting to increase his pace significantly, which Steyn regarded as a wise strategy.

Steyn lauds Hasan Ali

"He has not taken the new ball for a while and we were thinking who's gonna take it with Shaheen Afridi but he came and did a wonderful job. He didn't really try to take his pace up to the 140- 145kph mark. He was effective with his lines and lengths, kept it simple,"  Dale Steyn said while talking to ESPNCricinfo.

Hasan's inclusion in the ODI World Cup squad came as a late addition due to an injury to Naseem Shah, initially named in the squad but later ruled out from the tournament. In the absence of Naseem, Hasan Ali shared the responsibility of opening the bowling with Shaheen Afridi.

While Shaheen, known for his early breakthroughs, couldn't replicate his magic with the new ball, Hasan Ali compensated for it by dismissing Max O'Dowd. In his second spell, Hasan struck in his very first over, sending Aryan Dutt back to the pavilion.

Hasan will be seen in action next when Pakistan take on Sri Lanka in their second match of the 2023 World Cup, scheduled for October 10th in Hyderabad.