Former South African pacer, Dale Steyn, praised Pakistan’s Hassan Ali for his outstanding performance in the recent cricket match against the Netherlands in the World Cup 2023 in Hyderabad. 

Ali’s exceptional efforts significantly contributed to Pakistan’s victory.

In a recent interview with  ESPNcricinfo, Steyn highlighted that Hassan Ali, who hadn’t taken the new ball for a while, stepped up and demonstrated his cricketing prowess effectively. 

The absence of the usual fast bowling unit at the start of the innings posed a challenge, but Hassan’s performance mitigated this disruption.

“Hassan Ali hasn’t taken the new ball for a while now. It disrupts things when you lose your usual fast bowling unit that opens the bowling. But he came in and did a wonderful job. He didn’t really try and get the pace up to that 140-145 KMPH. He was very effective on his line and length,” he said.

Moreover, the 40-year-old admired Ali’s positive attitude and the genuine joy he exhibited on the field. 

His enjoyment of the game was evident through his smiling demeanor, a key factor that Steyn believes contributed to his success.

“The other thing that I enjoyed about him was that he had a good smile on his face. It looked like he was enjoying himself. When you are enjoying yourself, things come a little bit easier,” he concluded.

Pakistan’s second match in the World Cup 2023 is scheduled against Sri Lanka on October 10th in Hyderabad.