Pak vs Ned: Dale Steyn impressed by Hasan Ali
The 29-year-old took figures of 2/33 in seven overs on his comeback
Former South African pacer Dale Steyn was impressed by Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali, who was returning to the ODI side after a gap of more than one year.
The Men in Green started their World Cup 2023 campaign on a high note after beating the Netherlands by 81 runs.
Pakistan gave a competitive 287-run target which the Dutch couldn't chase and were all out for 205 runs.
Meanwhile, Hasan Ali was brilliant with the ball as he took the responsibility of the new ball bowler in the absence of Naseem Shah with Shaheen Shah Afridi.
The 29-year-old took figures of 2/33 in seven overs on his comeback. Ex-Proteas' bowler Steyn hailed Hasan for bowling good lengths at the start.
"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," Steyn said while talking to ESPNCricinfo.
"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," he added.
Steyn also liked Hasan's lively gesture on the field. "The other thing I liked about him, he had a smile on his face and looked like he was enjoying himself. Things come naturally when players are on their own," he concluded.
The Men in Green will now play Sri Lanka on October 10 at the same venue.
Pakistan will then face India on October 14 in Ahmedabad. Both teams will be playing each other after appearing twice in the tournament.
India won the clash between the two sides in the 2019 World Cup by 18 runs. The first match between the two sides in the recent Asia Cup was a washout but India would emerge victorious in the Super 4 stage match by a big margin.
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