Rana Naved-ul-Hasan

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan Biography

Born on 28 February 1978 in Punjab, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is a former Pakistani all-rounder who served as the spine of Pakistan’s pace battery and lower order batting after the team’s bizarre performance in the 2003 World Cup.

He is very popular in various leagues across the world. Be it renowned tournaments like English County or Big Bash, or the cash rich ones like Indian Cricket League or Bangladesh Premier League, Hasan was no stranger.

Background

Born in the suburbs of Sheikhupura in Punjab, Hasan was a hockey player till he was 16. But due to a serious injury he was advised not to pursue sports. Few years later due to his incessant efforts, he recovered and switched to cricket.

Rana learnt his know-how of cricket while playing domestically for Pakistan Customs and was later selected for Pakistan’s A tour of New Zealand in 1994-95.

Due to some personal reasons during 1995-1999, he took a break from cricket. But his performances after his comeback in 2002 are evidence that his skills as a players were too sharp to be ignored.

He was the top wicket-taker in the Pakistani domestic circuit in 2002.

Hasan played a total of 156 First class matches and amassed 4431 runs. He is a lower order batsman but still he managed to cross the century mark 5 times.

He also claimed 655 wickets which include his personal best of 7/49.

Debut

He announced himself in the international arena in 2003 in Sharjah Cup against Sri Lanka. In his debut match, Hasan was the leading wicket taker of the squad but was unfortunate to miss a hat-trick.

Hasan made his Test debut a year later, against Sri Lanka in Karachi. Like his ODI debut, he impressed as a bowler.

However, his figures of 3/83 were overshadowed by Danish Kaneria ’s 7/118.

Rise to glory

His finest hour arrived when he scalped 6-27 against arch-rivals, India at Jamshedpur in 2004-2005, bowling Pakistan to a massive win. He earned the Man of the Match for his contribution in the victory.

Hasan also scored some quick hard hitting innings in the lower order when Pakistan needed them the most.

The year 2005 was like a utopia for him as he was probably one of the best ODI bowlers in the world then.

In 22 ODIs he took 45 wickets at an average of 21.53 and was awarded with the selection in the ICC World One Day XI.

Low points

Having to compete with the young deadly speedsters like Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul for a place in the longer format, his career was limited mostly to ODIs.

Naved paid a hefty price for team’s unforgettable opening in World Cup 2007 match against West Indies and he was dropped for the following two matches as well as for the tours to Abu Dhabi and Scotland.

Following that, he was one of the notable absentees from the list of players who were awarded central contracts in July 2007.

After a disastrous tour of Australia in 2010, Hasan was banned for 1-year along with several other players receiving different types of consequences.

However, the PCB lifted his ban but he had already served in wilderness for six months.

Club career

In 2005, Rana was signed by Sussex in English county cricket. Later he played for Yorkshire in 2007 and for Derbyshire in 2012 season.

Rana played T20 Cricket for the Australian domestic Big Bash League teams, the Tasmanian Tigers and the Hobart Hurricanes since the 2009 season. He became a cult hero in the state and was known as “The People’s Mullet” amongst the masses.

Soon after taking Big Bash by storm, he grabbed a lucrative contract of $100,000 with the Dhaka Gladiators in the inception of Bangladesh Premier League.

Rana was also the part of Lahore Badshahs between 2007-2009 in Indian Cricket League. He was the Player of the Series in the 2008-09 edition, taking 22 wickets at an average of 12.77 and an economy of 6.66. He also proved himself valuable as a batsman by scoring 189 runs at an average of 27 and a whopping strike rate of 144.27 in the league.

Retirement

Limited-overs specialist, Hasan’s Test career spanned only for 3 years in which he claimed 18 wickets and scored 239 runs.

He played his last Test in 2007 against South Africa at Centurion. His handy scores of 30 and 33 runs in the lower order, when the upper order collapsed against Makhaya Ntini and Paul Harris, were not sufficient to reverse the defeat of Pakistan.

However his records in ODIs are highly impressive. His 74 ODIs produced 110 wickets at an average of 29.28 and an eye catching economy rate of 5.57. He also contributed 524 runs with a best of 33 in the ODI format. His last match was against Australia at Perth in which he entertained the crowd by his speedy yorkers and magical out-swingers.