Double feat for Hasan! Becomes 2017’s top bowler, completes 50 ODI wickets

By
Faizan Lakhani
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Hasan got Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya caught behind the wickets to reach 50th wicket of his ODI careerat Abu Dhabi's Zayed Cricket Stadium on October 18, 2017

KARACHI: Pakistan’s pace sensation Hasan Ali on Wednesday completed 50 wickets of his ODI career, in his 24th ODI, becoming the quickest Pakistani to reach the milestone.

Hasan Ali finished with bowling figures of 10-0-34-5 in Pakistan’s third ODI against Sri Lanka at Abu Dhabi on Wednesday evening, which also made him leading wicket-taker of the year 2017.

The 23-year old bowler reached 50th wicket of his ODI career by getting Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya caught behind the wickets by Sarfraz Ahmed.

He surpassed Waqar Younis to become Pakistan’s quickest to reach 50 ODI wickets. The former captain reached 50 ODI wickets in 27th match, while Saqlain Mushtaq reached this feat in 28 ODIs.

Hasan is also jointly overall the third quickest to 50 ODI wickets with Australian great Dennis Lillee. The list is headed by Sri Lankan Ajantha Mendis, who reached this feat in 19 ODIs. India’s Agarkar and New Zealand’s McClenaghan are jointly 2nd in the list; they both reached the feat in 23rd ODIs.

The young pacer, who was also the leading wicket-taker in ICC Champions Trophy this summer, has also promoted himself on top of the list of leading wicket-takers in the calendar year 2017.

He has now 40 wickets in year 2017. Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and England’s LE Plunkett are second as both are four wickets behind Hasan’s total wickets tally of the year.

He has now three 5-wicket hauls in the ongoing year - most by any in the year 2017. The bowler is now first Pakistani fast bowler to take three 5-fers in a calendar year in 18 years and only second bowler to do so in this time span. The other bowler to get three or more five wickets haul in a calendar year was Afridi who achieved this feat in 2011.

Last Pakistani fast bowler to take three 5-fers in a calendar year was Azhar Mahmood who grabbed three five-wicket hauls in 1999.

Hasan has been in superb form and consistent with ball recently. In last ODIs, Hassan has taken at least one wicket in every match.

Of 24 ODIs he played, only four went wicket-less for him which shows his ability of taking wickets at almost every condition and against every opponent.