ICC Awards 2017: Pakistan's Hasan Ali wins ICC Emerging Cricketer Award

What's the story?

Pakistan's rising fast bowler Hasan Ali has been recognised by the ICC for his excellent performance in 2017. Hasan won the ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year Award for a breakthrough year in which he rose through the ranks, having also made his Test debut.

In case you didn't know..

Right-arm pacer Hasan had a tremendous 2017 with the ball, bagging 45 wickets in 18 games at a brilliant average of 17.04. In two Tests, the 23-year-old got 6 wickets at 27.33 while his T20 international figures were also pleasing with 12 victims at 21.42.

In 2017, he even became the fastest from his country to 50 ODI wickets, which he grabbed in just 24 matches. The year ended with Ali atop the ICC ODI bowling charts, even ahead of stalwarts like Josh Hazlewood and Trent Boult.

Pakistan's @RealHa55an has had a phenomenal year, and bowled one of the balls of #CT17 to dismiss South Africa's Wayne Parnell! #BestOf2017 pic.twitter.com/qn84FGkqtm

— ICC (@ICC) December 13, 2017

The heart of the matter

Hasan came especially good in the ICC Champions Trophy, where he claimed 13 wickets in 5 games at 14.69. Though he started expensively, he hit back to claim three wickets each in all the four matches that followed, including the final against India, whom Pakistan beat comprehensively to lift the trophy.

So good was Hasan with his swing and accuracy in that tournament, that the ICC even described his wicket of Wayne Parnell against South Africa as “one of the balls of the Champions Trophy”. On receiving the award, he told icc-cricket.com, “It is a big achievement for me and for Pakistan. It should also be encouraging for youngsters, who can look forward to playing the game with more dedication towards it.”

Author's Take

For young names to be recognised at the highest level of the game is a massive honour for the likes of Hasan, and especially big for Pakistan, who had not hosted a top cricketing nation since the attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009, before a World XI side played 3 T20s in 2017.