Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali has reacted to former team manager Mohammad Hafeez’s comments about players sleeping during the Test series against Australia in December-January. Hasan Ali mentioned that fast bowlers might need short naps to recover after bowling for extended periods in a Test match.
Mohammad Hafeez was in charge of the Pakistan team during the Test tour of Australia and the T20I series in New Zealand. The Men in Green managed just one win in eight matches during Hafeez’s tenure from November 2023 to February 2024. The PCB decided to part ways with him after the disappointing results.
Speaking on the Club Prairie Fire podcast, Hafeez highlighted the poor fitness level of Pakistan players during his tenure. Mohammad Hafeez revealed that 4-5 players used to sleep in the dressing room during Test matches. He questioned whether it was acceptable for several players to sleep while the team was playing.
I could take a nap for 20 to 30 minutes – Hasan Ali
In a recent interview, Hasan Ali mentioned that he was not aware of players sleeping in the dressing room. Hasan added that players who were not in the starting XI and the management were present in the dugout. Hasan also pointed out that fast bowlers might need short naps to recover after playing for a day and a half.
“I don’t know, actually, but it should be like Hafeez said. I don’t think anyone slept in the dressing room after that. When Hafeez said that he was not going to play the first match, all the players who were not part of the starting XI were sitting on the bench watching the match. Even the management was sitting there. But I would say, especially for fast bowlers, when you play for a day and a half you need to recover, and you can take a nap for 20 to 30 minutes, but for those who feel they need it, they can do that as well,” Hasan said.
Mohammad Hafeez is known as one of Pakistan’s finest cricketers. The former right-handed batsman scored nearly 13,000 runs and took over 250 wickets in 392 matches across all formats. He also captained Pakistan in one Test, two ODIs and 29 T20 Internationals in his international career.
We had to follow him – Hasan Ali
Hasan Ali said that earlier the management allowed fast bowlers to take short naps to recover. The right-arm bowler mentioned that players had to follow the rule if Mohammad Hafeez had laid down one that prohibited sleeping in the dressing room.
“In the past, the management would make a rule that if someone needed a nap to recover, especially fast bowlers, they could do so. But if Hafeez, as the head coach and director of cricket, said no one was going to sleep, then it was fine. If he made the rule, we had to abide by it,” he added.
Pakistan have come under fire, especially after their group stage exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States. The Men in Green lost to the United States and India before securing wins against Canada and Ireland. Pakistan will next play in the series against Bangladesh in August.
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