BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan’s pace ace Hasan Ali wreaked havoc and recorded his name into the history books with a scintillating performance for the Birmingham Bears.
In just his second appearance of the 2025 T20 Blast, the right-arm fast bowler ripped through Derbyshire Falcons with career-best T20 figures of 6 for 23 — the best bowling return ever by a Bears bowler in the history of the tournament — leading his team to a thumping win and turning Edgbaston into a carnival of cricket and celebration.
The highlight of the evening was a dramatic hat-trick, Hasan’s first in T20s, which sent the stadium into a frenzy. Speaking to Geo News at the end of the match Hasan recalled the moments just before he completed the hat-trick.
“Actually, there was a plan,” he revealed. “I spoke with Tom Latham (New Zealand Test captain) after my second wicket. We spotted the batsman standing deep on the leg side, and I said I’d go for the yorker. I did, and it worked. And after that, I just ran away like a burnt angel and did my celebrations. I think at the end of the day it’s all about the fans. We are playing for the fans and, it won’t be wrong if I say my fiver is for those fans”.
Hasan’s infectious energy and trademark celebration, arms outstretched and a roaring sprint, lit up the stadium and brought smiles across hundreds of Bears’ fans present on the ground.
“I think, my celebration is something which pumps up the crowd and gives them energy too. Obviously, we are playing for the crowds, and, I feel like we are entertainers. We entertain with our skills and with our attitude. We entertain people with even the celebrations”.
“So I’m one of those who love to do a celebration for the crowd and, obviously, for the team as well. And, the team loves to see my celebration, and I’m very happy to be able to edit a couple of times today”, he added further.
Hasan is not the first Bear’s player to get a hat-trick, before him South African leg spinner Imran Tahir also achieved this feat. He too had a distinctive style of celebration. Which in Hasan’s opinion is unmatchable.
“I can never match Imran Tahir’s celebration—he runs miles!” he laughed. “But for me, cricket is about entertainment. The crowd gives us energy, and we give it back. That’s our job.”
“We entertain with our skills and with our attitude. We entertain people with even the celebrations. We know T20 is all about entertainment even ‘The Bazball’ in Test cricket is all about entertainment now. And it’s not only the cricket, whether you’re playing football or any other game people love, they come to watch you and to be entertained”.
The 30-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence in recent months. After impressing in the Pakistan Super League where he finished among the top wicket-taker of the tournament for Karachi Kings, that earned him a recall to the national T20 side for the series against Bangladesh.
Now, with his show-stopping performance for the Bears, he’s proving why he remains a world-class threat in white-ball cricket.
“This is my third T20 five-for,” Hasan said. “Honestly, I didn’t know it was a record for the Bears, but I’ve been lucky and blessed to perform when it’s needed most.”
With two wins now under their belt after a rocky start to the campaign, the Bears are clawing their way back into contention. “We lost our first two games, but now we’re building momentum,” said Hasan. “We’re aiming for the knockout stage this time – and Inshallah, try to win the trophy.”
Beyond the numbers and the celebrations, Hasan also offered insight into the demanding lifestyle of a modern-day cricketer. Having gone from Pakistan’s domestic T20s to the PSL, then national duties, and now the Blast — all within two months — he acknowledges the grind, but embraces it.
“The life of an international cricketer is very demanding. You finish one tournament and the next day you’re on a plane and off somewhere else to play. But if you eat well, sleep well, and stay disciplined, your body adjusts,” he said. “This is what professional cricket demands. Most people would think that is exhausting, but I think, as a professional, this is life..”
He referenced Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza, who recently flew from England to Pakistan just hours before the PSL final and still delivered a match-winning performance.
“That’s the life now,” Hasan said. “You’re always on the move, but you stay focused. So as a professional, we have to adapt to these things, we have to be very disciplined and we have to take care of our body really well.”
Looking ahead, the Bears face Northamptonshire Steelbacks next—where Hasan will cross paths with a familiar face, his former Karachi Kings coach, Ravi Bopara. “It’ll be fun playing against him,” he smiled. “The squad’s confident after two wins, and we’re ready.”
And while records and results may define careers, for Hasan, it’s the fans who remain front and centre.
“At the end of the day, we play for the people. So this fifer, this hat-trick—it’s for them.”
