Hasan Ali Calls For Better Squad Depth Ahead of Bangladesh Series

Pakistan pace bowler Hasan Ali emphasized the importance of strengthening the bench strength of the Pakistan cricket team rather than undergoing a complete overhaul, as suggested by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

The chairman had hinted at a significant revamp of the team, which Hasan Ali, the star fast bowler who was man of the tournament in Pakistan’s 2017 Champion’s Trophy victory, finds baffling given the current lack of depth in the squad.

“I don’t know in what context the chairman has mentioned surgery. Will they change all 11 players? Which is not possible. I am sorry to say because we don’t have such backups that we can change all 11 players,” Hasan remarked in an interview with a local website.

He questioned the feasibility of such drastic changes, pointing out the absence of sufficient alternatives in the domestic setup.

The fast bowler pointed out that Pakistan should work on the bench strength, drawing parallels with other cricketing nations that maintain multiple squads to manage international tours efficiently in all three formats.

“We should strengthen our bench strength, which every team in the world does. We have seen in the recent past that one country continues to field two teams on international tours,” Hasan added.

Highlighting the upcoming Test series as an example, Hasan noted the lack of a replacement spinner in the current setup.

“If Pakistan had these two teams today, we wouldn’t have to talk about doing surgery or this or that. Now, for example, a Test series is coming up and Pakistan won’t have an alternate spinner. To perform surgery, surgical equipment is essentially needed.” he concluded.

Hasan Ali was part of the 18-man squad during the Ireland and England tours but later his name was dropped from the T20 World Cup Squad.